Unexpected Restart
by Serena530
Summary: After learning that she is the Moon Princess and that Darien is not only her adored Tuxedo Mask but also the Earth Prince, a grief stricken and angry Serena wishes she could go back and redo events. Her newly acquired silver crystal unexpectedly grants her wish.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer** **: I do not own Sailor Moon or her characters, and have no right to it except as a long time fan.**

Unexpected Restart  
Chapter One: Anger and Grief

Serena sat alone in her room on her bed late one evening hugging her pillow and listening to her treasured star locket. The musical melody was a soothing balm to her grief, and a sharp contrast to her anger. She had never in her life felt such a way. Part of her was uncomfortable with the anger coursing through her like a living thing, but the other half of her just didn't care and even felt justified in feeling the way she did.

After all it had only been a couple of days since her Prince had been taken, and not one of her Scouts had done a thing to stop it.

She squeezed her pillow and took a shuddering breath, tears leaking from her eyes, as she recalled once again the events of that fateful yet enlightening day.

 **~~uUuUu~~**

 _Sailor Moon stared in wide eyed disbelief as the guy she thought of as a jerk/friend transformed into the mysterious figure she had had a major crush on for months. She blinked slowly as if it would change the visual standing before her. How could this be? How could_ _he_ _be Tuxedo Mask? How could she not have known?!_

 _Of course it occurred to her seconds later that he obviously had a way to keep his identity a secret otherwise she would have recognized him during her first fight as a scout. It wasn't surprising since she had realized that the Sailor Scouts had some mysterious way to keep their identities secret. She had wondered about that very thing after saving her best friend her first time out as the scout of the Moon what with her distinct hair style. She hadn't believed that Molly wouldn't instantly recognize her despite the dangerous situation._

 _As she and Tuxedo Mask stared at one another she wondered how different things would have been if they had recognized one another as the person they encountered earlier the day they met when she threw her crumbled test paper at him. But now was not the time for such thoughts; she would have to think on it later._

 _"You have to run! It's too dangerous!" She pleaded, thinking of his injury._

 _"I can't. I_ _have_ _to get the rainbow crystals." Tuxedo Mask said quietly._

 _"I know. I know, so you can find your princess." She replied with a light sigh._

 _"Yeah. But I also want to protect you." He stated, and she nodded slowly, her face coloring._

 _"Then be careful." She implored with a frown despite her blush._

 _"Of course." He said with a smirk before he moved forward as she stepped aside._

 _"I want you to promise that Sailor Moon will be safe and not be involved in our fight." She heard Tuxedo Mask say._

 _"Sure. She won't be involved." Zoycite agreed._

 _Both she and Tuxedo Mask knew that Zoycite wasn't likely to keep that promise, but she was sure Tuxedo Mask thought it was worth a shot._

 _Tuxedo Mask continued to step forward and she looked on anxiously, worried that he was injured, and still shocked that he was actually Darien. Then she blinked, and he was gone. She blinked again, wondering where he had gone, and heard a pained gasp behind her. She spun around and gasped in horror to see him standing with his back to her, a large pointed crystal piercing through his back._

 _"No!" Sailor Moon screamed and ran to him as he fell, dropping to her knees at his side._

 _"Darien! Darien!" She called, her panicked and shocked mind idly noticing that the large crystal was gone as she watched him struggle to open his eyes before finally succeeding._

 _"Don't forget I'm on your side, and I always will be." Darien said haltingly before his eyes closed once again._

 _Her eyes widened at his words and she feared he was about to die as his eyes closed._

 _"Please don't go, don't leave me! Please!" Serena begged, but all she could do was watch anxiously as his eyelids fluttered, struggling to open again._

 _As she leaned over Darien she was unaware that the rainbow crystals had appeared from the ceiling and were floating down toward her. All she could think about was that Darien was hurt; hurt very badly because of her._

 _She glanced up unconsciously and saw her Crescent Moon Wand floating with a bright crystal sitting in the curve of the crescent, and suddenly her vision pulled back and she watched from what felt like a distance inside herself as her body moved on its own._

 _She got to her feet and gazed at the wand, and felt herself transform. Looking down she saw that she now wore a beautiful white gown, and felt high heel shoes on her feet. She looked back to her wand and suddenly knew that it was the legendary silver crystal Luna had spoken of._

 _Serena grabbed the wand and sank down to her knees before lifting Darien to rest his head on her lap. In the next moment she was aware of Zoycite attacking and brought her hands up to shield her face. When the attack died down she calmly brought her wand up and looked to the man._

 _"Cosmic Moon Power!" She said quietly and an attack of her own blasted him back and incapacitated him enough that she felt he was no longer a concern at that time._

 _"Darien." She said softly, sad and upset that he was injured because of her, and watched as he opened his eyes and gazed up her._

 _"Princess." He breathed. "Serenity." He said as he lifted his hand to caress her face, and she held it there and closed her eyes. "I remember now. I'm Endymion, Prince Endymion."_

 _Serena's eyes snapped open as she gasped; the last few moments began to make sense as his words registered to her. She was the Moon Princess. She was Princess Serenity. As the realization came to her the memories of her past life flashed before her mind's eye in rapid scenes that her mind was somehow able to process and understand._

 _Once they finished she looked down at her dying friend. This was Darien. The same Darien that teased her, made fun of her sometimes, and always seemed to be arguing with her, but he was also the same Darien that had confided in her, and had vowed to protect her when they were trapped together._

 _He was Tuxedo Mask. The man she had a major crush on, the one who always protected her, the one who always encouraged her, the one who could cut straight through her fear with his words alone and get her to do what they both knew she needed to in the moment._

 _And he was Endymion. The man who loved her, who treated her like a woman and not just a pretty princess. The one who gave his life to protect hers, and the man she loved so much she killed herself to join him._

 _She gasped lightly as she came out of the rush of memories._

 _"Endymion." She said as she looked down at his pained face. She knew he was dying. She could feel it. He was going to die and leave her again. She couldn't let that happen, she just couldn't. She knew she could save him; she had the knowledge! She just had to find it in her new swirl of memories._

 _But she was tired and she could barely think. She could feel her gown changing back into a sailor suit, but she ignored it and tried to find the information she needed._

It has to do with my silver crystal. _Was the last thing she thought._

 **~~uUuUu~~**

Serena remembered coming to and finding Darien gone, and most of the Scouts, Luna, and Artemis thought his comrades had just taken him back with them.

She had been confused at first but the more they said to try and calm her and tell her of what happened after she had apparently fainted, made her realize that despite not wearing his mask they had not been able to tell that he was Darien, and they had apparently been too far away to hear them speaking to each other and didn't know that he was Prince Endymion either.

She had already been sad and worried, but once that realization sank in she was on the verge of a breakdown. They had let their enemy take him because some of them thought he was their enemy as well. They said it had been sudden how the enemy had taken him, but they hadn't even tried to stop them once they realized what was happening.

It wasn't long before anger began to wind its way through her grief and pain. She was outraged that they let him be taken, that they even thought of him as an enemy after all the times he had helped them and saved her.

She felt it even more so as she remembered him struggling through his pain to tell her that he was on her side and always would be. He had wasted precious energy to tell her that, to make sure she knew, which told her that he had known he was dying as well.

She didn't bother telling the others who he really was. She hadn't seen the point. He was gone; in enemy hands. He was either dead or he would be made to fight against them. As painful as it was she thought it more likely that he was dead. He had been so hurt, too injured for him to possibly live without immediate care.

Serena squeezed her pillow tighter and closed her eyes in pain, more tears leaking from her eyes as she remember that day. She blamed herself for Darien getting injured. If she had been paying attention to her surroundings he never would have had to risk his life saving her.

It hurt so much that he was gone, that he was away from her. Just days before she would have been glad to have a break from Darien and his behavior, but so much had changed and she had been forced to take a look inside herself and see how she really felt about him.

She discovered that she had liked him, had liked him for a while. Seeing Raye pursue him had made her jealous even if she hadn't showed it. She had hidden it even from herself.

She was sure Raye had been out looking for him these past few days since she hadn't come to see her or call her. In fact, the only one to come see her was Mina. Luna saw her but she lived with her, so she didn't count. She had taken to locking her out of her bedroom anyway. Her guardian advisor had thought he was an enemy as well, and had been insensitive in her comments.

Mina hadn't been there with the group long enough to have an opinion about him one way or the other, but she hadn't wanted him to be taken if only because Serena seemed like she had some kind of connection to him. She had come to visit because she was worried about her, and how she was handling the man's disappearance. She could tell that something was wrong, but Serena wouldn't tell her.

She had appreciated her concern but she saw no reason to inform her of who Tuxedo Mask really was, and especially who he was to her. She assumed the others were just giving her space, but she didn't particularly want to see them anyway.

Serena sighed tiredly and got under her covers.

 _I wish things were different; that I had acted differently. I'm sure if I had Darien would be fine right now and going about his life_. She thought with another sigh as she settled in her bed. _What I really wish is that I could go back and do things differently_.

As she was falling asleep, tired from all her anger and grief and helped along by the soothing sound of her star locket, she felt her silver crystal pulse warmly inside her as if to tell her that everything would be alright.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer** **: I do not own Sailor Moon or her characters, and have no right to it except as a long time fan.**

Unexpected Restart  
Chapter Two: A Second Chance

Serena woke suddenly to the sound of her alarm going off.

 _I don't remember turning that on_. She thought with a frown as she reached over and turned it off.

She hadn't planned on going to school. She had tried that a few days ago and it hadn't gone well. She hadn't particularly liked getting beamed in the head with a volleyball. Her head had already been hurting from all the crying she had been doing and the ball had only made it worse.

As she lay in bed her frown deepened as she wondered where her star locket was. She remembered falling asleep to its soothing sound so it should still be playing.

 _I hope Luna didn't get in here somehow and take it._ She thought as her eyes searched the space where she had left it. _If she did I might have to commit kitty murder to get it back._ It was the only thing she had from Darien. He had given it to her when they only knew each other as Tuxedo Mask and Sailor Moon, and to her it represented their connection.

She sat up and glanced around then went stock still. Something was wrong. She might keep her room a bit messy, but she always knew where everything was. Right now she could clearly see that the mess around her room looked different then it had before she went to sleep.

In fact, she also noticed, with some alarm, that what she was wearing was different then it was when she went to sleep.

Serena took slow calming breaths to keep herself from panicking, and tried to figure out what was going on. She quickly went over the few facts that she had. Her room was different, the clothes she was wearing were different, and her star locket wasn't where she left it.

She got up and thoroughly searched her bed and around it for her locket, but it was nowhere to be found. She checked her vanity desk but it wasn't there either. She even checked her school bag even though she knew it couldn't have possibly ended up in there during the night.

Turns out it was a good thing she checked there. She ran across some stray notes and happened to glance at the date, only to do a double take as it registered.

 _This is months old!_ She thought in shock as she dropped the papers.

She got up and looked at the calendar on her wall, and was shocked to see what day it was. It was a date she would never forget; the day she met Luna and became Sailor Moon.

It was outrageous but it fit. It explained why her alarm had been on, and why her locket had gone missing. She hadn't gotten it yet!

 _How did this happen?_ She wondered as she slowly sat on her bed. _How did I end up in the past, well, my recent past?_

Then she remembered the strange warm pulse of her silver crystal as she was falling asleep. It had to have been the crystal. She had no idea it could do that, but there was no other way it could have happened. Definitely none that she could think of.

Then just as quickly her brain started going in high gear as a single thought softly crossed her mind.

 _Today's the day I met Darien._ That thought started a chain reaction in her mind.

 _I'm not Sailor Moon, I haven't met Luna, haven't yet met Amy, Raye, Lita, and Mina. I also don't have my silver crystal_. She listed off. Even though she believed it was what brought her back it was split up into seven pieces at this point in time.

Today was the day it all started, and it was her chance to do things differently. Her second chance with Darien. Their meeting could be different, and not the irritation it had been with her test paper.

Serena let herself fall back on her bed and let those thoughts settle in her mind. Then she firmly decided that after she met his Tuxedo Mask persona she was going to follow him and tell him who she was and who he was.

She wasn't going to just sit around and let things happen and hope she and Darien had a chance together, hope he didn't get so hurt that he was in danger of dying, hope he didn't attract Raye's attention.

 _No. If I have my way Darien and I will be together long before Raye even enters the picture_.

With that thought she got up and grabbed her school uniform and went and took a quick shower. When she finished she went back to her room, put her pajamas away and brushed her hair before securing it up once again in her usual hair style.

It pleased her to finally know that the hair style she had insisted on as a child was actually the style worn by the royalty of the moon. Even as a child some part of her had known who she really was deep inside.

Once she finished she went to her school bag and picked up the notes she had dropped earlier. As she was doing that her mother appeared in her open doorway, wanting to make sure she was awake.

"You're awake!" Her mother said in surprise.

"Yeah. I wasn't sleepy anymore after my alarm went off." She told her mother, who accept that easily before she left.

After Serena picked up her notes and bag she sat on her bed and began to put them in order. That was something else her mother would have been surprised to see. She was remembering that she had been quite neat and organized in her past life. The fact that she was organizing her notes now told her that it was something she was going to be again.

Once she was done she took her bag and went downstairs. She grabbed her lunch and a piece of toast from the kitchen and left with hurried goodbyes to her parents. She wasn't interested in dealing with their surprise that she was awake and would be leaving on time.

Though just because she was leaving on time didn't mean she would get to school on time. She was going to take her time since she had no idea if her being late was what allowed her to come across Luna when she did or if that was a coincidence.

Besides that she wasn't particularly worried about being on time. She'd worry about being on time and doing well in school after things were settled with Darien.

And she did plan to do better in school. She had done okay before, well enough not to flunk out anyway, but she knew she could have done better. She just hadn't wanted to. For some reason she had felt school wasn't a priority.

She remembered that she had been intelligent in her past life and she was beginning to wonder if some of her behavior in her present life was a consequence of being reincarnated. Maybe it was some kind of cosmic protection to have her behave the opposite of how she had in the past. To keep her enemies from finding her.

 _I don't know, but I know I'm different._ She thought quietly. Remembering her past as Serenity and experiencing what happened to Darien and the aftermath had changed her. She didn't mind though. It was a consequence of life, and there was nothing to do about it.

As Serena walked she checked her watch and noticed she wasn't early but she wasn't late either. She looked around and spotted something black on the ground just up ahead. As she got closer she realized it was Luna.

There were no kids around this time and she wondered if that was because she wasn't late. She may have gotten there before them.

When she reached her she knelt down and placed her bag on the ground before gently lifting her to her lap. She wasn't particularly pleased to see her, but that didn't mean Luna deserved to be treated cruelly.

"Are you okay?" Serena asked idly, knowing she wouldn't get a verbal answer, and quickly leaned back just in time to avoid the flailing paws that were clearly trying to scratch her.

She held in an aggravated sigh and reached out and carefully removed the bandage to reveal the golden crescent moon amongst her fur. Then blinked as Luna sprang up and used her head to leap away.

She stood up with her bag in hand and looked at the black feline; enduring her stare as she imaged Luna was trying to figure out or was realizing she was one of the girls she was looking for.

She checked her watch and saw that if she hurried she might actually get to school on time. She looked at Luna once again before walking on, not wanting her to see the frown that appeared on her face as she recalled the last time she had spoken to her.

Luna had been so insensitive. Telling her she needed to snap out of it and that it was best she move on from her infatuation with Tuxedo Mask. The Negaverse had taken him, clearly showing that he was on their side as they had figured from the beginning.

Serena had wanted to set Luna straight but didn't see the point. He was either dead or they would force him to work for them. Not to mention she hadn't been sure Luna would believe her even if she did tell her the truth.

She arrived at school late but didn't worry about it. Things went just as she remembered. She got her test back and saw that she had failed. At lunch she hung out with Molly and her other friends as they ate lunch.

As she was eating she looked between her friends and finally settled her eyes on Molly. She decided right then that she was going to keep her friendship with her this time. She had missed her and hadn't liked that she had had to cut down on seeing her so much that for all intents and purposes the friendship had ended.

Molly had been her best friend for years before Luna, being Sailor Moon, the other scouts, talks of finding and protecting a princess, and keeping the city safe from monsters entered her life. It had never sat well with her that she had had to pull away from her, and not even be able to give her an explanation of why.

 _At this point I need a friend with a different perspective who has an unbiased point of view, and this time I won't let anyone pressure me into giving up that friendship_. Serena thought firmly, especially if like last time Molly ended up getting caught up in her secretive life anyway.

That thought brought to mind Molly's relationship with Neflite. It had been obvious that her friend had fallen in love with the dark general, but it had been surprising to her that he had eventually returned those feelings.

 _So much so that he gave his life to protect her_. She thought as she closed her eyes, remembering his death and the heartbreak in Molly's voice as she screamed her grief.

 _I don't want that to happen again, but how can I keep him alive and get him away from the Negaverse?_ She wondered. _Is freeing him from the Negaverse even possible?_

She decided she would give it some more thought after things were settled with Darien. She was sure he would have some insight on the situation, especially since they had originally been his generals.

Serena tuned back into the conversation going on around her in time to hear her friends mention jewelry store robberies and how Sailor V had been in the news stopping them.

They got to talking about the jewels that the robbers were after and what they must look like. Molly mentioned her mother owning a jewelry store, and asked if anyone wanted to go check it out after school. The others wanted to but they had to get home, but Serena easily agreed.

Serena was both nervous and excited since she would see Darien after she left the store. She had no idea how she was going to react. All she knew was that her test was going to be firmly in her bag and in no danger of going anywhere near him.

 **~~uUuUu~~**

After school Serena and Molly made their way to the jewelry store, chatting about their recently returned tests. Serena made a show of being unhappy with her low test score, which wasn't altogether untrue since she was unhappy that her mother was going to be upset.

"I'm determined to do better. Not just on our next test, but on my school work in general." Serena said firmly.

"Good. You can do it." Molly said encouragingly since she could hear the sincerity in her friend's voice. "We can study together. We can make up a schedule for when and where to make it easier."

"Good idea! We can study at each other's house and the library." Serena said and Molly nodded.

"Now we just need to figure out the times." Molly said.

"We can figure that out tomorrow at school." Serena said as they walked up to the jewelry store.

Molly nodded as they reached the store front, and was surprised to see all the sale signs and the hordes of people.

Serena looked around with wide eyes. She had forgotten how many people had been in the store the last time she had experienced this scene. Still, she distracted herself by looking at the various rings and necklaces with Molly pointing out ones she had admired before and wished she could get.

It wasn't long before Molly's mother came over to greet them. Serena returned the greeting, trying not to think about the fact that she knew it wasn't really her friend's mother. Especially when she tried to offer her a ridiculous discount on a very expensive piece of jewelry.

"No thank you." Serena declined. "I don't have any money." She added with a slight smile before she turned to Molly. "I doubt my father will give me any after he hears about my test score."

"Try not to think about it. Focus on your determination to do better instead." Molly said consolingly, and Serena nodded.

"I better get home and see how my mother will react." She said with a sigh and her friend put a hand on her shoulder comfortingly.

"Good luck. I'll see you tomorrow." Molly said and Serena nodded.

"Bye." She said before she walked to the exit and paused as the sliding glass doors opened then stepped out.

Serena turned around and walked backwards as she looked at the store, worried about her friend being around the imposter posing as her mother. As she continued to walk backward she collided with someone and stumbled slightly.

"I'm so sorry! I wasn't watching where I was going." She said quickly as she turned around only to stop with a gasp as her eyes landed on Darien.

Her eyes widened slightly and her face flooded with heat at the unexpected meeting. She had expected to see him, but not to literally run into him!

He looked just as she remembered him the last time this happened. He wore gray pants, a black long sleeve shirt, a green jacket, and black sunglasses. Most importantly he was unhurt and looked completely healthy.

"Are you alright?" He asked considerately and she nodded as she stared.

"Are you?" She asked and watched him smile.

"I am." He answered and she knew he was amused.

"I just wanted to make sure." Serena said as her blush darkened. She was surprised at how shy she was being, but at the same time she wasn't. This was the first time she had spoken to him under normal circumstances since learning the truth about him and herself.

"Okay." He said as he chuckled.

Serena shifted slightly and peeked up at him before taking a steady breath and introducing herself.

"I'm Serena." She said softly, and watched him tilt his head slightly as he gazed at her before a slight smile formed.

"I'm Darien; pleased to meet you." He said confidently.

"The pleasure is all mine." She said as she smiled brightly before she sighed. "I should get going," She said reluctantly. "but I hope to see you again sometime."

He hummed. "I look forward to seeing you again." He said and she smiled.

"Bye." She said.

"Bye." He returned and she waved and walked off to head home, happy with the way the meeting had gone.

Serena made it home fine and her mother was expecting her and wanted to know how she did on her test. She informed her outright that she had failed, but that she was determined to do better from now on. Her mother wasn't pleased but was willing to see if she made good on her word to do better.

She nodded in understanding and relief then went up to her room, settled on her bed, and started on her homework. When she finished her homework she put it away in her school bag and stretched out on her bed as she let her mind wander to what she planned to do that night.

 _I'm going to have to make sure Luna isn't with me when I speak to Darien. I don't want her to know I'm from the future or Darien's identity._ She thought quietly. _Besides that I'm not sure how I'm going to tell him about myself or how to even start that conversation_.

In fact, she wasn't even sure how she was going to get him to stop and listen to her. They would be meeting for the first time after all and wouldn't have any history with each other.

 _Will he even believe me when I tell him?_ Serena wondered as she closed her eyes. _I'll have to figure out a way to prove to him I'm telling the truth. Maybe...I can tell him something only he would know_.

A soft clicking sound interrupted her thoughts and she knew what it was; her balcony door opening, which meant Luna had arrived. She had been asleep last time, but there was no mistaking that sound no matter how quiet.

It closed with a sharp snap and her eyes snapped open.

 _Here we go_. She thought before she took a deep breath and sat up.

Serena looked toward her balcony and saw nothing. She frowned but then a black shape leapt onto her bed in the form of Luna.

She looked at her, still frowning, and knew she wasn't ready to be around her for an extended period of time. She just could not get her insensitive words and attitude out of her mind.

Not to mention she had seen Darien, _Tuxedo Mask_ , as the enemy, and until Serena saw otherwise this time around she was going to be uncomfortable and suspicious of her.

"What are you doing here? How did you get in here?" She asked in tone that suggested she didn't expect an answer from the cat.

"My name is Luna. I've been looking for you, but I was having difficulties with that Band-Aid on. It was blocking my senses and ability to talk, so thank you for removing it." Luna said with a smile in her voice.

There was no way Serena could pretend to be surprised so she didn't even try.

"How can you talk?" She asked since she actually had always wanted to know. She remembered Luna from the past, but she hadn't gone through her memories for the little details.

"I'm special." Was all Luna said, and she sighed in slight frustration.

"Why has a talking cat been looking for me?" Serena asked.

"There are monsters out in the city attacking people for their energy and it's your job to stop them, but more important than that it's your job to find the Moon Princess and protect her. You are one of her guardian scouts, and until the princess is found she will be in danger." Luna explained.

"Moon Princess." She said in a thoughtful tone. "What does she look like?" She asked, something she hadn't done the first time around.

"I don't remember." Luna answered solemnly.

"How am I supposed to find her when I have the entire planet to search and no description?" She asked reasonably.

"You're not alone; I'm here with you." Luna answered. "It was my job to find you, awaken you, and guide you along your path. Besides me, there are the other guardian scouts. You need to find them and awaken them, so they can help find and guard our princess."

Serena sighed and looked away. She hadn't noticed this before but Luna liked to give out information in vague pieces instead of giving a clear explanation.

"How man guardian scouts are there, and how am I supposed to find them?" She asked.

"I don't remember how many scouts there are, but each scout will be marked by their planetary symbol." Luna said, and Serena shook her head.

"I'm not sure I believe a word you've said." She said. While she knew it was the truth it was also an unbelievable story. It _sounded_ like a fantasy. It also didn't explain how exactly she found her. She knew for a fact that she didn't have crescent moon on her forehead when Luna met her.

"It is true; all of it." Luna said seriously. "You are the scout of the Moon, and it is your duty to keep the planet safe, find your fellow scouts, and find the Moon Princess and protect her."

"Prove it." Serena demanded. "I need to see proof if I'm going to believe you."

"Alright." Luna said before she proceeded to produce a familiar brooch.

It was a round golden brooch with a large crescent moon on its face, a large pink gem above the crescent moon, and four tiny gems. Red set on the top, blue on the bottom, and green on the left side and orange on right side of the brooch.

"Here's your proof. Hold it up and say "moon prism power" and you'll see that what I've said is the truth." She said.

Serena took the brooch and stood as she looked at it. She then smiled lightly and placed the brooch in the center of the bow on her school uniform. She then looked to Luna who was still sitting on her bed watching her, then shrugged and did what Luna said to do.

"Moon Prism Power!" She said after she had her brooch back in her hand, and was immediately surrounded in warm pink light and began to be enveloped in her transformation.

When it finished she stood wearing her familiar sailor suit. A white fitted body suit with white shoulder pads, a blue collar that had two white stripes on it, a blue skirt, and a red bow on her chest and lower back.

In addition to that she wore a red choker with a golden crescent moon at the center, white gloves with red borders just beneath her elbows, and red knee high boots with a white border at the triangular edge and a gold crescent moon at the top.

Completing her look she wore white bordered red circle hair pieces on each bun, a golden tiara with a red gem in the middle, gold dangling earrings with crescent moons, and her brooch sat in the middle of her chest bow.

Serena looked down at herself before moving over to her vanity mirror. She was surprised that she didn't feel too uncomfortable. More comfortable then she had the first time she transformed but still uncomfortable. She remembered how vulnerable and exposed she felt.

 _The vulnerable feeling is gone, but I'm still working on the exposed feeling_. She thought as she lightly tugged at her skirt.

Suddenly she heard a female voice pleading for help and knew it was Molly. It sounded like it was in her ears but she knew it was coming from the red circular hair pieces covering her hair.

Serena frowned as she listened to Molly's scared voice and knew she had to get to her quickly. She looked to her bedroom door and then remembered that she couldn't go that way, so she quickly ran to her balcony doors and opened them.

She stepped out and looked around before looking down at the ground. She took a breath and without a word to Luna she jumped to the ground and took off running toward the last place she had seen Molly; her mother's jewelry store.

"Wait for me Sailor Moon!" She heard Luna call, but she ignored her knowing she would catch up.

After what felt like a lifetime of running she came to a stop outside the jewelry store front and tensed at the sound of Molly's scream. She stepped forward, idly aware that Luna had caught up, and the sliding glass doors opened and allowed her to see Molly in the hands of the monster that had been impersonating her mother.

"Get away from her!" She shouted and the two turned and looked her way.

"Who are you?" The monster asked.

Serena hesitated, suddenly feeling too mature for speeches with her enemies, but decided she had to do it this once if only because Luna was right there.

"I'm a pretty guardian in a sailor suit, guardian of beauty and justice, Sailor Moon!" She announced.

"Never heard of you." The monster said before it proceeded to awaken the comatose customers and sent them to attack the scout.

Sailor Moon stepped back, having forgotten about them, and quickly looked down at Luna to see if she would tell her what to do, but she just looked back at her. She huffed and ran, skirting around the people trying to grab at her.

There were so many though and soon she was pushing them and, although she felt guilty, hitting them, hoping to knock them out so it would be one less person after her.

"Luna! What do I do?" She asked urgently.

"Use your power." Luna called back.

"How?!" She asked in frustration.

"Use your instincts. Trust them." Luna answered.

Sailor Moon nearly growled, but knew that wasn't lady like and refused to degenerate to that level. _Of course_ Luna wouldn't tell her what to do. _Use my instincts!_ _?_ She didn't have any! Well she supposed she must have built some in the few months before her crystal sent her back. But Luna didn't know that, she was just assuming she had instincts simply for being a scout.

She frowned and thought through her situation and what she could do while she fended off the people attacking her. She really only had her tiara as a weapon and she couldn't use it on these people. They weren't monsters or enemies. They were just being controlled.

 _I need to kill this monster but I can't do that with all these people in the way_. She thought and considered what happened before when she was in the same situation, and recalled that her screaming had dealt with them.

 _I also remember I hadn't done that on purpose, and I don't know if I can duplicate it. Still, I don't have a choice; I have to try_. She thought in determination.

As she was concentrating on trying to connect with the hair pieces that would amplify any sound she made she continued to push and hit people, but then her eyes widened as the monster moved to attack her.

Its arm began to stretch from where it stood, its hand a claw headed quickly for her, but was suddenly cut off its path by a rose that landed upright on the floor.

Sailor Moon used the distraction to her advantage and screamed as loud as she could as she connected with her hair pieces. The sound amplified sharply and echoed around the room, causing the attacking people to drop and the monster to cover its ears.

When she stopped screaming the monster immediately attacked and she quickly dodged, and continued to do so as she jumped over the prone bodies. She dove behind a display counter just in time to avoid another attack, and flinched as she felt and heard the monsters clawed hand crash into the counter.

"What are you doing sitting here?!" Luna said as she suddenly appeared at her side as she caught her breath. "Get up and fight! Use your tiara!" She finally instructed.

Sailor Moon peeked over the counter and quickly dodged the clawed hand again as she moved away from the now destroyed counter. She quickly pulled off her tiara and charged it as she ran, then skidded to a stop and threw it at the monster.

"Moon Tiara Action!" She shouted as her tiara flew through the air.

It connected with the monster destroying it; turning it to dust, and releasing the people from its control.

She caught her tiara as it returned to her and slipped it back on her forehead just as a masculine voice spoke.

"Congratulations Sailor Moon." Tuxedo Mask said and she turned and looked up to where his voice was coming from, and saw him standing next to an open window.

"I didn't find the legendary silver crystal, but I did find something fascinating." He added and she couldn't help blushing at his words. _Did he say that last time?_ She wondered.

"I'm Tuxedo Mask, and I certainly take note of you Sailor Moon." He said and she sighed dreamily as she watched him disappear out the window then her eyes widened as she realized that he was leaving. She ran for the store exit and saw him sailing through the sky as he jumped to the roof of a building across the street.

"Tuxedo Mask! Wait!" She called out as she ran after him, jumping roofs, losing Luna in the process- which was what she wanted.

"Wait! Please!" She continued to call. "I need to speak to you. Please!" She called and was thankful when he finally stopped in a large tree filled park.

Sailor Moon caught up with him and stopped a short distance from him. _How do I get started on what I need to say?_ She wondered as she leaned her hands on her knees and caught her breath. She looked up to him as he waited for her to speak and decided to be blunt and direct.

She stood up straight and calmly released her transformation and stood before him in her school uniform.

"I'm the princess you've been dreaming of." She told him.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer** **: I do not own Sailor Moon or her characters, and have no right to it except as a long time fan.**

Unexpected Restart  
Chapter Three: The Conversation

It was after her statement that Serena recalled what he had told her when they were trapped in the elevator in the Starlight Tower. That was something only he would know, so he would _have_ to believe her.

"Princess?" Tuxedo Mask said questioningly.

"Yes. The one you've been dreaming about." She said.

"Dreaming." He repeated with a frown.

"Yes." She said again. "Who did you think put you on the path to seeking the silver crystal?" She asked, and he frowned deeper.

This time Serena frowned as well; not understanding why he seemed confused, why he didn't seem to recognize her from their earlier meeting that day.

 _He doesn't know he'_ _s Darien!_ She realized in shock. She had not known that he hadn't known he was Tuxedo Mask from the beginning. She realized then that she first needed to let him know who he really was before anything could get done.

 _How long did he go the first time around not knowing he was Tuxedo Mask? And who made him my masked savior in the first place?_ She wondered.

"Do you know your name?" Serena asked softly as she stepped forward.

"I am Tuxedo Mask." He responded, and she shook her head.

"I'm Sailor Moon, but that's not my real name. Your name is Darien Shields; a high school student, and Prince Endymion; the man I love." She said.

"Darien. Endymion." He repeated slowly.

"Yes." She said as she nodded. "My name is Serena Tsukino; a junior high student." She said as she gestured to the uniform she still wore. "And Princess Serenity; the one you've been dreaming about."

"Serena." He repeated with a frown, and she nodded.

"We met earlier today outside a jewelry store." She said.

"Jewelry store." He repeated. "You bumped into me accidentally." He said, and she smiled and nodded.

"Yes. That was me, and you're Darien." Serena said, and he nodded.

"I remember now." He said. He had not known he was Tuxedo Mask. The last thing he remembered was feeling an incredible headache, and now here he was, but he also recalled the fight and her following him, calling out to him.

"How do you know I've been dreaming about a princess, let alone looking for her?" Darien asked.

"That's one of the reasons I wanted to talk to you; why I came after you. You told me." She said, and he blinked as he frowned.

"That's not possible. I just met you today, and I definitely didn't mention that." Darien stated. "And how do I know you're really the princess I've been dreaming about?" He asked skeptically, and she took a steadying breath.

"I can prove it." She said before she stepped back and closed her eyes.

She didn't have her silver crystal yet, but she knew it didn't matter. She knew who she was. She concentrated on her royal persona, recalling how she felt when she had assumed that form when her silver crystal first came to her. She had to have some kind of internal power or Luna would have never known to make her a scout, and she wouldn't have been able to transform or use her tiara.

A soft white light enveloped her, surrounding her in warmth, before it flashed brightly and cleared leaving her standing there in her royal gown.

Darien gasped as he took in the flowing white gown he recalled from his dream, the unique hair style, and the golden crescent moon on her forehead.

"You really are the princess." He said softly, and she smiled softly and nodded.

"Princess Serenity of the Moon Kingdom, and you are my prince. Prince Endymion of the Golden Kingdom." Serena said.

"You said that before; that I'm this Prince Endymion." He said as he gazed at her, and she nodded before she stepped close to him.

"You need to remember. _I_ need you to remember." She said as she placed her hands on his face, gently cupping his cheeks.

Darien leaned down slightly, idly enjoying the feel of her hands. "I don't know how." He said. He wished he did; he really did want to remember if what she was saying was true.

"Please." Serena said as she stood on her toes. "Please remember." She begged softly before she pressed her lips to his and closed her eyes.

Darien couldn't believe she was kissing him, but he supposed he couldn't be too surprised since he had leaned down, brought himself into her range. He did remember his short time as Tuxedo Mask before she helped him remember who he was. He remembered thinking how attractive she was in her sailor suit, fighting that monster, and how she was even more so in the gown she now wore.

Her lips were very soft and he decided to stop thinking and enjoy it. He returned the kiss and used his tongue to silently ask for entry, which she easily granted. As he wrapped his arms around her waist he felt a warmth slowly begin to fill him, then knowledge began to trickle into his mind and images rapidly played behind his closed eyes.

He remembered. He really _was_ Prince Endymion.

As the kiss ended he pulled back and looked into her dazed yet concerned eyes.

"I remember." He said as he smiled softly. "I remember you; my Serenity."

She smiled happily and hugged him. _This is going much better than I thought it would_.

"How did you know? How did you know about my dreams?" He asked again, and she pulled away and looked up at him.

"You really did tell me." Serena said before she took a breath. "I'm from the future." She revealed and watched his eyes widen in surprise. "Just a few months, but it was enough for me to learn that I was a sailor scout and experience the fighting, and learn that you were Tuxedo Mask, learn that I was a princess and you were a prince."

"I have a lot to tell you, but as for how I got here, my silver crystal brought me here. I went to sleep last night and woke up this morning in this time. I was very shocked when I realized how it happened, and even more surprised at discovering _when_ I had been brought back to." She explained.

"I decided then that since I was given a second chance I wasn't going to wait for things to play out as they had before. Even if I wanted to I couldn't. The events that happened and learning who I really was had changed me too much for me to pretend like everything was normal, at least when it came to certain people, like you. There's no way I could pretend when it came to you." She said.

Darien nodded his understanding. He believed her, but it was a lot to take in, and she hadn't even told him everything she obviously wanted to.

"Let's talk tomorrow." He suggested. "That will allow us more time, and let what I learned tonight sink in."

Serena nodded and they agreed to meet at the Crown arcade after she got out of school.

 **~~uUuUu~~**

Darien sat at the counter at the front of the Crown arcade waiting for Serena to show up, lost in his thoughts of what he had learned the previous night.

Last night he had escorted Serena home just to make sure she got there safely. He was already protective of her. He had thought she was cute and interesting when he met her outside the jewelry store, had thought she was attractive as a scout, and his memories of her as his princess had still been flooding his mind so he felt it wasn't unusual; at least for them.

Once he got home he had gone straight to bed, but sleep had eluded him since his mind was so full. He had so many things to focus on, but his mind kept going to two things: the fact that Serena was the princess he had been dreaming about, was _his_ princess, and that she had time traveled.

He had eventually gotten to sleep but she was on his mind the moment he woke up.

Darien remembered her silk gown and how soft it felt beneath his hands, which brought up memories of the past, of the many times he had felt her gown beneath his hands. He recalled the silky soft feel of her hair from the past as well, and wondered if it would still feel the same to his fingers.

Then there was the feel of her soft lips against his. He couldn't get over how very soft they were. He couldn't _wait_ to kiss her again. He had the feeling he was going to be addicted, and he was surprisingly fine with that.

So here he was waiting for her so they could talk, get to know each other, and more importantly so he could learn about her experiences before she traveled through time.

Darien sighed lightly and shifted his thoughts to himself. Before she had followed him and helped him remember, he hadn't known he was Tuxedo Mask. He supposed the only thing he could be grateful for was that it was his first time out as the masked man, so he couldn't have missed anything important.

He wondered why he was able to change into that appearance, into that tuxedo and mask, and why that particular outfit. At least for Serena her guardian Scouts wore that scout outfit, so it made sense for hers to look like theirs. He had no bases for what he wore.

 _I'm grateful to know who the princess in my dreams is and that she found me_. He thought after some more consideration. _I wonder how long it would've taken me to find her otherwise_. He wondered, and guessed it was something to ask her if she didn't end up telling him before he could.

He heard the arcade doors slide open and he looked over to see Serena step in, looking just as she had yesterday, lighting up the place with her presence; at least in his eyes.

 _I'm also grateful that she's mine_. He thought as she looked toward him and smiled.

 **~~uUuUu~~**

Serena sighed tiredly as she sat at her desk in class during a break while her friends stood and sat next to her talking. Molly was recounting a strange dream where she was saved from a monster by someone called Sailor Moon.

She had heard it all before so she tuned it out and thought back to the previous night. After she got home Luna was there in her room waiting for her, upset that she had run off after Tuxedo Mask and left her behind.

Luna had asked her why she had gone after him, that it was dangerous not knowing if he was really an enemy or not. She'd answered simply that she had wanted to talk to him. Luna asked if she did, and she lied, saying that she hadn't caught up with him.

Serena knew that Darien had stayed back after they got near her house, so Luna wouldn't spot him since she said she didn't want the one who made her a scout to know she had spoken to him. She had promised that that was something she would explain along with everything else today.

After that Luna had kept her up for hours talking about the fight, how she had performed, and telling her that she would be fighting monsters like that one from then on in addition to her quest to find the Moon Princess. She had finally gotten to sleep, but she had only had a little over three hours before her alarm had gone off.

Of course it hadn't ended there. Luna had decided that she needed to go to school with her to see if Molly remembered anything. She was currently somewhere in the room listening to her friend recount her _'dream'_ , and she knew she was probably going to hear more from Luna the first chance she got.

Right now she was tired and just had no patience for any of it. She was anxious to see Darien and talk to him. She hadn't been able to think about their meeting at _all_ with Luna on her case, but she took the chance now that she had it.

She was definitely pleased with how it had gone, but was surprised all over again at the fact that he hadn't known he was Tuxedo Mask. She still wondered how long it had been until he had discovered the truth about himself.

 _I can hardly believe I kissed him._ She thought with a light blush as she shifted her thoughts. It wasn't something that had crossed her mind when she thought about helping him remember his past.

Still, she had liked it, and couldn't wait to do it again. Although, part of her was sad. It was their first kiss and she wished she had experienced it with him before she had come back in time; before he had been taken from her.

 _I'm going to have to work on that; getting over my sadness. He may not be the Darien I lost, but he's still Darien._ She told herself before she tuned back into her friends as they began to talk about what they wanted to do after school. She joined in, and they eventually decided on the arcade with a little prodding from her.

After school Serena, Molly, and their friends headed to the arcade. When they arrived she paused just inside the doorway and looked around as her friends went to look for seats, and saw Darien at the front looking right at her. She smiled widely and stepped toward him.

* * *

Darien watched her head toward him, and idly noticed that she was being followed by a black cat.

"Hi." Serena said softly as she stopped next to him.

"Hey." He replied as his eyes flickered around her face before he glanced down at the cat sitting beneath the seat next to him. "There's a cat following you." He mentioned as he looked back to her, and watched her nod.

"We can't talk around Luna." She said quietly almost in a whisper, and he understood that the cat had something to do with her story.

"How about we go to my place?" Darien suggested. "That way we'll have privacy."

"Okay." She agreed easily before she glanced over to where her friends sat. "Let me just go tell my friends I'm leaving." She said and watched him nod before she walked over to her friends.

"Hey. I'm going to go hang out with Darien." She told Molly quietly as she placed her hand on her shoulder.

"Who is he? How come I've never met him?" Molly ask as she turned and looked to her friend.

"I met him yesterday after I left your mom's store." She said as she pointed him out to her friend. "I bumped into him right outside the store, but I still managed to get his name. He's so cute and I really want to get to know him." She told her friend.

"I can definitely understand why." Molly said as she nodded.

"Thanks. I'll call you when I get home, so you'll know I'm okay." Serena said.

"Alright. Good luck." Molly said as she playfully shooed her away.

"Thanks." She said with a grin before she walked back toward Darien.

He stood up before she could reach him and they walked out of the arcade together, and quickly made their way to his car, hoping to lose Luna so she wouldn't be able to jump into the car.

Luckily Luna got caught up in a group of students, and they were able to get in the car without her, which would assure she wouldn't be able to follow them. Once their seatbelts were on Darien pulled out into the traffic, and they headed to his apartment.

 **~~uUuUu~~**

When they reached Darien's apartment they settled in his living room on the couch, and Serena looked around curiously.

"Have you been here before?" He asked.

"No." She said as she shook her head. "I had never seen your apartment; didn't even know where you lived." She added with a slight frown. That fact upset her. It was just a reminder of time lost with him before he had been taken from her.

Serena shook her head slightly and sighed gustily before she started her tale with as much detail as she could remember.

She began with the day they met the first time around, meeting outside the same jewelry store but with different results, and how exactly she had become Sailor Moon. She explained how a black cat named Luna, the same cat she had come across that morning and helped, had come to her bedroom. Told how Luna had told her of being a scout and given her her golden brooch.

She described the fight with the same monster they had encountered the night before, and when he had made his presence known and helped her.

She described some of the attacks they had fought together after their meeting, and how she had needed his help badly during those times. She went on to describe their seemingly daily encounters as just Serena and Darien, and how she had begun to think of him as a jerk but also as a friend.

She went on to describe meeting and befriending Amy. That she was very smart but shy and had no friends, and how she was eventually revealed to be Sailor Mercury when a monster, posing as a teacher at her cram school, attacked her.

Then came Raye who went to a private all-girls school. She was discovered to be Sailor Mars when public buses leaving near her family temple began disappearing, and one of the guys working at the temple turned out to be the enemy in disguise.

After Raye came Lita, a transfer student to her school with a reputation for fighting. Serena described their meeting and how they became friends, and when it was revealed that she was Sailor Jupiter.

"It wasn't long after her arrival that Luna named me the leader of the Scouts, and gave me my Crescent Moon Wand, which was my new weapon but also a tool to help locate the rainbow crystals." Serena explained.

"What are rainbow crystals?" Darien asked with a slight frown.

"They are seven crystals, each a different color, that are currently housed inside different people, and in one case an animal, and help seal away dark beings from the Negaverse." She answered. "Every time a crystal was removed the person or animal turned into a creature like the one we saw last night only much stronger."

"Each side was looking for them for their own reason." She continued. "The Scouts were hoping the crystals would help lead them to the silver crystal, which in turn would hopefully lead to the Moon Princess. The Negaverse, we assumed, hoped they would lead them to the silver crystal which they wanted for its power. The other you, as he informed me, was hoping to find the silver crystal to help find his dream princess who was asking for his help and who he thought would be able to tell him who he really was." She explained, and Darien nodded his understanding.

"Not very long after I was named leader one of the dark generals disguised themselves as me, as Sailor Moon, I think to draw all of us out, the Scouts and the other you." Serena continued.

"The Scouts ended up being captured in some type of barrier that caused us pain the smaller it got, and you ended up being injured by the fake Sailor Moon. We were eventually freed from the barrier when Sailor Venus showed up." She said, and explained that Sailor Venus was a girl named Mina who was the same age as her and the other girls. With her was a white cat just like Luna, named Artemis, who made her a scout.

She went on to explain how she came across him and discovered that he was injured, and as he was assuring her that he was going to be fine they ended up being captured in some kind of barrier sphere that transported them to the Starlight Tower.

She had fallen unconscious somehow during the trip and when she woke up he was talking to a dark general about the rainbow crystals. At that point he had a few, and the Negaverse had the rest.

"I didn't know why you both were talking since I never got the chance to ask, but I think the Negaverse or at least that general had found out your real identity somehow and made some kind of deal to fight for possession of all the crystals." She explained thoughtfully.

Darien listened as Serena explained that the general took all the rainbow crystals and forced the two of them to retreat to the elevator or risk falling to their death as the floor collapsed beneath them.

Once inside the elevator the doors disappeared leaving them trapped, and that was when he informed her of the accident that took his parents and his unsure knowledge of who he was, and that he had been dreaming of a princess asking for his help.

Apparently it wasn't long after they stopped talking that they noticed fire heading down the elevator shaft toward them, and realized the general was going to try to kill them.

He then listened with interest as she described having to decide whether she should do nothing or transform in front of the other him and reveal her secret. Not to mention revealing her real identity to the general unless he was dense enough to think the scout had just rescued him and left her to die.

She obviously decided to transform and she managed to get them out and to the top floor where they faced the general. And his identity as Tuxedo Mask was revealed to her, much to her surprise, and he convinced her that he needed to face the general to try and get those rainbow crystals to find his dream princess.

Darien was surprised and yet not to find that the general had set a trap to try and kill her while the other him was distracted. Thankfully he wasn't that distracted and was able to save her, but unfortunately he ended up with a grave injury in the process.

That was apparently when her grief over his injury summoned the rainbow crystals, which combined to form the silver crystal, which in turn revealed her to be the Moon Princess. Her remembering triggered the other Darien's memory and he was revealed to be the Earth Prince.

Serena stopped and took a calming breath as her recitation had brought the memories of the last time she had seen her Darien to the forefront of her mind as well as the pain and anger she felt at his loss.

"I passed out, likely from the rush of memories, and when I woke up the Scouts were with me and the other you was gone. They told me he had been taken suddenly by the general and another new general." She said.

"None of the Scouts knew who you really were. They didn't recognize you even without your mask, and were too far away to hear us talking to know you were Endymion. So they just thought you were Tuxedo Mask, the one some of them saw as another enemy." She explained.

"Because they thought you were the enemy they didn't even try to save you. They ignored all the times you saved me and aided us, and just let you be taken!" She said with a frown.

Serena curled her fingers into angry fists as she remembered, and blinked suddenly as she felt his hands cover hers and rub them gently.

She looked up and sighed. "I'm sorry. I was just so outraged and angry and in pain over what happened." She said and sighed again. "I still am. Being back here with you helps, but the memory is still there and so are my feelings." She admitted, and he nodded.

"That's understandable. You've only been here a day. It will take time for you to get pass what happened." Darien said, and watched her nod solemnly.

"How many generals are there, and what are their names if you know them?" He asked, deciding to try and distract her from how she was feeling.

"They're your former guardian generals." Serena revealed. "First was Jedite, who is currently in charge of the monsters we'll be fighting. The last time I saw him was when it was just me, Mercury, and Mars. We all fought him at an airport. He lost and we never see him again."

"Next to show up and take charge was Neflite. He was in charge for a while and had actually started a relationship somehow with my best friend Molly, the red head I came into the arcade with earlier." She said and watched him nod. "I'm sure he started that relationship for his own purposes involving the Negaverse, but they had both ended up falling in love and he gave his life to protect her."

"After him came Zoycite. He took over and seemed to be in charge of finding the rainbow crystals for the Negaverse, and like I said before he eventually disguised himself as me and unknowingly set into motion everything that had happened before I came back here."

"According to the last general Malachite, Zoycite was punished for his failure in the Tower and was killed, so he was next in charge. We only fought once in the Tower and didn't see him again in the time before I came here." Serena explained.

Darien nodded as he took in her explanation of what happened to his former generals. He could picture them all from his past memories.

Malachite, the leader of his Guardian Generals, was tall with long white hair just pass his shoulders and blue eyes. His personality was stoic and calm, and he always wore gray. Jedite with his short pale blonde closely cropped hair, and gray eyes. Playful and passionate personality, and always wearing blue.

Zoycite with his green eyes and long wavy blonde hair pulled back into a low ponytail had a calm and calculating personality, and always wore green. Neflite with his dark blue eyes and thick wavy brown hair halfway down his back. Always wearing red that emphasized his passionate and proud personality.

All four men were loyal and faithful, and wore their uniforms cleanly and proudly. They had been fun and caring men that always had his back. The only time there had been a problem was when he began to see his princess, and even that had gone away when they realized just how much he loved her and how much better she made him.

He wasn't counting what happened in the past. He could see their defection as a betrayal, but he knew it wasn't. They had been brainwashed and turned against him.

"Your generals are something else I wanted to talk to you about." Serena said and he nodded as he refocused on her, his princess in the present.

"I want to see if it's possible to save them so you can have them back. I never thought it was fair that I got my guardian scouts back, but you couldn't have yours. I didn't know they were your guardians until I remembered my past, and by then there was only one left." She said and he hummed thoughtfully.

"I like the idea. I don't think it's fair either that you'd get your guardians back but I wouldn't. Having them back would bring a sort of balance between us." Darien said and she nodded.

"You won't be alone either. Regardless of what happens next with my Scouts I'll never forget how they viewed the other you, and how he had only had me on his side. Me to watch his back; especially since I had trouble watching my own back. You deserve to be protected, and to have those who you can trust and relate to around you." Serena said fiercely.

Darien smiled at her protectiveness of him. "I think it'll work if we can help them remember their past." He said.

"We'll have to cut their connection to the Negaverse, so they can't be taken back." She added, and he nodded.

"We'll figure out a way." He said and she nodded in return.

Serena sighed tiredly and stretched her arms above her head and her legs out in front of her slightly.

"Are you okay?" Darien asked in concern.

"I'm just tired." She answered. "Luna kept me up for hours after I got back last night, so I didn't get much sleep."

"Do you want to go home, and take a nap?" He asked.

"No! I don't want to go home yet. I'll be fine. I want to stay with you a while longer." Serena said quickly, and he smiled and nodded.

"Well, is there anything else you want to tell me about the time you came from?" He asked curiously.

Serena hummed thoughtfully and closed her eyes as she tried to think of anything else she might have forgotten or needed to tell him.

"Raye." She finally said as she opened her eyes.

"Sailor Mars?" He asked to be sure, and she nodded.

"Not long after I met Raye, almost immediately after, she saw us, me and the other you, interacting and decided she liked him. After that she was always asking after him and going up and talking to him whenever he was around me." She said.

"To my understanding they went on a few dates after she kept asking him out, but there was nothing official. I honestly never knew if he actually felt anything real for her, but I know that Raye had real feelings for him. I want to avoid that whole situation this time around." Serena explained.

"So what does that mean for us? What do you want?" Darien asked as he gazed at her.

"I want us to be together." She stated outright. "We didn't get the chance before, before I came back here. We didn't even get the chance to talk about all the revelations."

"I remember us being together in the past, remember those feelings, can still _feel_ them, but I want us to have a connection in this time as Serena and Darien. I don't want us just being together just because we were in the past." She explained.

Darien nodded and thought she was right. He remembered their relationship and the feelings that came along with them as well. He had loved her intensely; he remembered thinking at one time that he might have loved her more than he loved his kingdom.

He wanted to feel that way for Serena. He was attracted to her, and she was interesting enough to keep his attention beyond that. He just needed the affection to follow. Or at least get stronger than it currently was.

"Okay." He said after thinking about it for a few moments. "You were honest with me and I was trusting of you with this whole situation, so that's what our relationship will be built on. Honesty and trust. We'll trust each other, be honest, and date."

"So..will you be my girlfriend?" He asked as he tilted his head slightly and watched her smile softly.

"Yes." Serena agreed easily, happily. It was exactly what she wanted. For her and her prince to be together and become closer.

Darien smiled in return and shifted until he was turned and completely facing her.

"Talk to me. Tell me about yourself, who your friends are, where you go to school- though your uniform does look familiar, that type of thing." He said and she nodded.

"To start off, I'm fourteen, and I'm in junior high school at Juuban Municipal Junior High. I only have a few friends, but they're good, and my best friend is Molly." Serena said. "I like to eat, sleep, shop, and cook- although I'm not really good at it. And I like reading manga and listening to music."

"What kind of music do you like?" Darien asked.

"All kinds, but it's usually whatever sound appeals to my ears at the time I hear it." She answered and he nodded.

"How was your friendship with your Scouts before you came back here?" He asked.

"It was good. I had the most time with Amy and liked her quiet nature, and Lita was fierce and strong but was really down to earth and an amazing cook. I liked Raye's passion when she displayed it, but she always had a problem with me liking Tuxedo Mask." She answered.

"She was one that thought the other me was an enemy." He stated, and she nodded.

"Yes, and she never failed to complain to me after a fight where he saved me or even spoke to me. Beyond that the other you used to call me meatball head, and Raye took to calling me that or a variation of it. I'm sure it originally started to impress him since she did it in front of him, then she just started doing it all the time."

"I never said it, but I didn't like it. It was something between me and him, and Raye had interfered in that." Serena said with an unhappy frown.

"Did the other me continue calling you by that name?" Darien asked.

"Only occasionally and when Raye wasn't around, so I think he must have felt the same as me." She answered thoughtfully.

Darien nodded, thinking the other him likely did since he was already considering how irritating that would be to have some girl come along intruding like that in an attempt to impress him.

 _Why didn't he just tell Raye to get lost? It's what I would've done._ He wondered having done just that many times before.

As he looked at Serena he remembered what she said earlier about them going on a few dates, but thinking nothing had ever been official between them. After a few moments he thought it was likely because she was Serena's friend. He likely hadn't wanted to upset _her_ by upsetting her friend.

"Do you like being Sailor Moon?" He asked, deciding to change the subject.

Serena opened her mouth to reply, paused, and snapped her mouth shut as she actually thought about it. _Do I?_ She wondered.

"I've actually never thought about it." She finally said thoughtfully. "I remember in the beginning it was scary because I didn't know what to do or how to fight. Transforming into that outfit didn't suddenly give me that knowledge, so I was always scared and thankful and relieved when Tuxedo Mask would show up and save me and help me and offer encouragement."

"But now that I'm thinking about it I felt more and more unsure and insecure as each girl showed up. I watched each of them be revealed as a scout and jump right into it like they had been doing it all their lives. They had no trouble fighting and facing those monsters, and if they did they certainly never showed it." She explained.

"They also never had a problem telling me to stop being a baby and fight the monsters, and that I needed to fight better and stop leaving all the work to them." Serena said with a sigh. "It was frustrating, especially when they got on my case about being friendly with Tuxedo Mask, who they started to see as an enemy. He was the only one encouraging and helping me."

"So in short, I like being Sailor Moon for being able to help people where I normally wouldn't be able to, but I didn't like the situation behind the scenes. Didn't like that I had no training in how to fight and no encouragement from the girls who fought so closely beside me." She summarized. "Though Mina isn't included in that since she hadn't come along until the end, and she showed more concern for me after the other you was taken then all the rest."

"What about the cat, Luna? Was she any help in advising you on being a scout since she was the one to make you a scout?" Darien asked.

"No." Serena said as she shook her head. "In the beginning she would wait until the last minute to tell me to use some ability I had but didn't know I had. Then she would berate me when I was scared and reluctant to fight instead of offering some kind of help."

"Once the girls started arriving she wasn't at the scene of the fights as often, so she relied on them to give her reports of what happened, and every little thing I did came under fire." She continued.

"If I was late to a fight it was immediately rebuked, if I ran for a bit from the monster in my fear it was criticized. If I had to be saved by Tuxedo Mask I was weak, I wasn't strong enough, one of the Moon Princess' guardians couldn't be weak after all. If I couldn't defend myself then how was I to protect the princess?! If I had any words with Tuxedo Mask I was seen as consorting with one who could possibly be a danger to the princess." She quietly raged.

Darien sighed heavily and rubbed her hand comfortingly. The problem was clear to him. Unlike the other scouts she didn't have fighting instincts, and that was obviously because she was the Moon Princess in the past; she wasn't required to fight.

None of them would have known that, but they could have still helped her. They could have trained her to be better instead of criticizing her every action.

Another issue was that they didn't trust what instincts she had. She clearly trusted Tuxedo Mask and saw that he wasn't dangerous to them and wasn't an enemy. They were unwilling to believe in her, likely because she wasn't good at fighting.

Such was what led to the other him being taken by the enemy, apparently effortlessly, and led to her coming to the past.

 _That has to change_. He thought firmly. Clearly things had already been changed with her coming back and revealing herself to him, and helping him to learn who he was. There was no reason he couldn't help her become a better scout. She would be safer, gain confidence, and it would allow them to spend more time together.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer** **: I do not own Sailor Moon or her characters, and have no right to it except as a long time fan.**

Unexpected Restart  
Chapter Four: Details of all Kinds

Serena and Darien continued to talk, moving away from the subject of her feelings on her Scouts and being Sailor Moon, and focused on continuing to get to know each other.

Just as he had Serena asked questions about Darien to learn all the things she hadn't known about him from before she had come back despite her months of acquaintance with the other him.

When the conversation trailed off Darien decided it was time to take Serena home. He could see that she was still tired and she knew she still had homework to do, so she gathered her things and they left his apartment and headed down to his car and he drove her home.

"I'll see you tomorrow at the arcade." Serena said in a hopeful tone after kissing him on the cheek when they arrived at her house.

"Yes." Darien said with a smile. "You can count on it."

"Alright. Bye." She said as she opened the door.

"Bye." He said and she closed the door and waved before she walked toward her front door.

"Hi." Serena greeted her parents, who were sitting in the living room, as she entered the house.

"Hello." Her mother said as she looked toward her.

"You're back later than usual." Her father commented.

"Yeah. I went to a friend's house after school." She said, and they nodded, likely thinking she was talking about one of her usual friends. "If you need me I'll be in my room." She added before she headed upstairs.

She walked a few short steps down the hall to her open bedroom door and saw Luna sitting on her bed. She held in a weary sigh as she stepped in, and closed the door behind her.

"Where have you been?!" Luna asked with a frown, and Serena narrowed her eyes, not liking her tone at all.

"At a friend's house." She said simply, not feeling the need to say more.

"You mean that young man from the arcade." Luna said.

"Yeah." Serena said as she moved to put her school bag on her floor table.

"Why did you run off with that guy and leave me behind?" Luna asked in disgruntlement.

"Because I didn't want you coming along. I wouldn't have been able to get to know him as well as I did with you there watching and listening to everything." Serena said. "Plus, he would've thought it was strange; to see that I had clearly just come from school, and had my cat with me."

"You shouldn't have left me behind and gone off alone with that guy." Luna said adamantly.

"Why did you want to come?" Serena asked exasperatedly.

"To look after you." Luna answered as if it was obvious. "What if there had been an attack?"

"Then I would've transformed and fought as I did last night or I wouldn't have known about it because I was at my friend's home." She answered. "You wouldn't have known if you had been there unless you have some way of knowing about attacks when they happen."

Serena knew for a fact the feline didn't. When she had first become Sailor Moon they had had to watch the news and lookout for the signs of the monsters activity.

"Besides, no monsters going to attack a random person's home." She added.

"You never know. It's entirely possible." Luna said.

Serena refrained from rolling her eyes, and headed back out of her room and downstairs to get the phone. She had promised to call Molly, and that was exactly what she was going to do.

She grabbed the cordless phone and began to dial her friend's number as she headed back up to her room. Despite their friendship trailing off into nothing she still remembered her best friend's phone number.

 _"Hello, Baker residence."_ An older female voice answered.

"Hi Mrs. Baker." Serena said, recognizing her friend's mother's voice. "It's Serena. Is Molly home?" She asked.

 _"Oh yes she is. Hold on a moment."_ Mrs. Baker said.

"Sure." Serena said easily, and within moments she was hearing her friend's voice.

 _"Serena?"_ She heard Molly say just as she made it back to her room.

"Yeah." She answered as she closed the door and went to sit on her bed. "I said I would call you when I got home, and I just got home."

 _"Oh that's right! So tell me how it went with that guy, Darien right?"_ Molly said.

"Yeah. It went well. We went back to his place and talked for hours. His full name is Darien Shields and he's seventeen in his last year at Moto Azabu High School." Serena said.

 _"Oh wow. He looked older when I saw him at the arcade. I thought he was at least twenty."_ Molly said in surprise.

"I thought the same thing, but I'm glad he's not because that would have been an age gap I don't think my parents would tolerate." She admitted.

Serena had honestly always thought Darien was at least nineteen with how mature he acted. She guessed the jerk in him was his way of displaying his true age. Either that or he just couldn't help himself when it came to her. She knew it was hard for her to be civil with him when she saw him, which would explain how they were always insulting and arguing with each other.

 _"Oh yeah. That would have been a six year gap."_ Molly said.

"Yeah." She said.

 _"Well, tell me more!"_ Her friend said excitedly, and she laughed as she ignored Luna staring at her.

"He lives alone in a high rise apartment building, and he has a car. That's how we got to his place. He has a shiny red sports car." Serena said.

 _"Ooh!"_ Molly said.

"Yeah. He has a part time job on the weekends at a hotel, and he told me he wants to be a doctor so once he finishes high school he's going to go to college and study medicine." She explained.

 _"Wow. He sounds like a really good guy."_ Molly commented.

"I know. I'm glad I ran into him yesterday." Serena said.

 _"Where are his parents?"_ Molly asked and she sighed heavily.

"He's an orphan." Serena revealed. "He told me his parents died in a car crash his family was in when he was a child, and that he was lucky he survived." She explained and her friend gasped.

 _"He was actually_ _in_ _the car?"_ Molly asked in horror.

"Yes." She answered. "Ever since then he's been on his own. Apparently he lived in an orphanage until he was old enough to be on his own, and then he learned that his parents left him an inheritance, which is how he can afford the apartment he lives in and the car."

 _"What else! What else!"_ Molly said excitedly. _"Come on, give me details. I've never seen you_ _really_ _interested in a guy before, so I want to learn all I can."_

Serena blushed a little, knowing that was true. Last time around she had a crush on Andrew, who worked at the arcade, and on Tuxedo Mask. She had grown out of her crush on Andrew, helped along by the distraction that was Darien, and _no one_ had really known the extent of her feelings for Tuxedo Mask.

"He's athletic and really likes track and field, but he also plays baseball, football, soccer, and basketball. I also think he's really smart since I saw books on many different subjects in his apartment." She said.

 _"Maybe you can study with him as well."_ Molly suggested.

"I plan on doing that." Serena revealed. "I'm already thinking of taking turns between you and him, and if we get closer you can meet him and we can have a study group."

 _"You're really serious about doing better in school."_ Molly commented quietly.

"Yes. Very, although I still need to do my homework tonight. That's actually why I'm at home instead of still at Darien's place, because I actually wanted to stay longer." She revealed.

 _"Ah. You really do like him."_ Molly said wonderingly.

"Yes." Serena said with a smile. "He's so cute, handsome really, and he's tall and dark, smart and seems to know what he wants in life."

As she said it Serena realized that was actually what attracted her to him in their past. _Well, most of it_. She had been attracted to his looks and the fact that he was different than any male she had ever seen. Then she got to know him and all the rest came, as well as the fact that he treated her like a woman and not a delicate princess that needed to be handled like glass.

"I haven't even begun to think about what I want to do after I finish school, but just knowing that he already has a plan has made me start thinking about it." She added.

 _"And it's spreading!"_ Molly said. _"I_ _'m already wondering if I should start thinking about it."_

"I suppose that's a good thing." Serena said.

 _"Yeah."_ Molly said and then sighed. _"I should let you go, so you can get started on your homework."_

"Yeah. I'll see you tomorrow." She said.

 _"Alright. Bye."_ Molly said.

"Bye." Serena said.

 **~~uUuUu~~**

A few days after their revealing conversation Serena and Darien went on their first date. They met up at the arcade after school, and Darien drove them to the theater where they planned on watching a movie and having dinner in the area.

They were both still in their school uniform but neither cared or were embarrassed. They were just focused on having a good time and continuing to get to know each other.

The couple sat in the back of the theater, with a good twenty or so minutes before the movie started, knowing they wouldn't be heard by anyone since they wouldn't have to worry about people behind them and there was no one in front of them at the moment.

Serena was currently telling Darien about how she used to be before she came back. She spared no detail, telling him all about how she was a crybaby, klutzy, clumsy, and lazy at the worst of times.

"I hated to study, which grew worse as I watched the girls doing fine in their studies even with the seeming constant attacks we had to deal with." She said with a light sigh.

"What changed?" Darien asked since she didn't seem to be that way now.

"Remembering my past changed me." She answered. "When I got back here I dropped my school papers in shock as I noticed the date, and I immediately started cleaning and straightening up my stuff. In that moment I realized that I was neat and organized in the past, and I'm already determined to do differently, better in school, since I remember I was intelligent in the past."

"I also feel more mature. I don't feel the need to be loud, giggly, and whine. I suspect being reincarnated contributed to the way I behaved. It's as if I was the opposite of the princess I had been." She said.

"Still are." Darien corrected, and she smiled at him. "But I understand. It's possible it was a type of protection for you, so you wouldn't be found so easily. If you were easy to find you may have ended up like my generals, and thought you were part of the Negaverse."

Serena grimaced. "I can't even imagine that." She said and he nodded.

"How did your Scouts react to you being revealed as the Moon Princess?" He asked curiously.

"I missed their initial reaction because I was unconscious, but when I woke up I saw that they were still shocked." She answered. "I think it was because I had been right under their noses after all that searching, and because the princess was someone like me; like how I used to be. I didn't fit their image of what they thought the princess would be."

"Beyond that I came back here before I could see how they would treat me. If they would treat me the same or differently. Although, Luna had seemed to treat me the same. Either that or it was her version of tough love." She added.

"How so?" Darien asked as he watched a group of people enter the room and scan the seats.

"She was insensitive about the other you being captured. She said I needed to snap out of my grief, and to get over my infatuation with Tuxedo Mask. The Negaverse had taken him which clearly showed he was on their side." She replied.

"I wanted to set her straight, but I didn't see the point. I figured he was either dead or they would force him to fight for them, and I didn't think Luna would believe me anyway. After all, she had never mentioned a prince, and it wouldn't have surprised me if Luna thought I was making it up just so we would have a reason to go try and rescue him." She explained.

"Did the others say the same things she did?" He asked.

"No. Amy, Raye, and Lita didn't come to visit or call me. Mina came to see me since she had been worried about me. She was the only one who saw that there was something wrong besides the guy I had a crush on being taken by our enemy." She said.

"She sounds like she would've made a good friend." Darien commented thoughtfully, and she nodded.

"That behavior is likely why she's the leader of my Scouts. She sees where others don't. I can't wait until she's around again. I'm looking forward to getting to know her."

"I hope you don't have to wait long. Maybe it will happen sooner since circumstances are different this time around." He said.

Serena nodded and looked around as the room began to darken and the white screen widened before previews began to play.

* * *

After the movie ended Serena and Darien left the theater and walked to a nearby fast food restaurant to grab something to eat.

"I've been thinking the past few days, and I want to help you be a better fighter." Darien said as they waited for their number to be called for the food order. "I don't mind saving you at all. I don't even know if you will really need it this time around, but I want you to be confident and not have to rely on anyone if you don't need or want to."

"I'll need saving." Serena said truthfully. "I'm better now than I was when I first started fighting with the months of experience I have facing the monsters, but I only really know how to point my weapon and fire; not fight and defend myself." She explained and he nodded.

"We should train together, and you should take some martial arts lessons." He suggested. "I'll even take them with you since I'm sure I can use them despite my instincts. Remembering my past is sure to help, but I don't want the first time I test out those fighting moves to be in the middle of a fight."

"I understand, and I want to do that." She agreed easily. "Although, I'm going to have to get my parents' permission since they'll be paying for those lessons."

"Okay. Though if they refuse I'll pay for the lessons myself. Your safety is too important to just pass them up." Darien said firmly.

"Thank you." She said softly just as their number was called.

Darien got up and got their food and returned to the table. As they ate they talked about how the classes would have to be at the beginning level and after school. They had to make sure it didn't interfere with doing their homework.

They also discussed the possibility of missing lessons because of an attack or even having to leave in the middle of a lesson. They hoped it didn't happen, but they would prepare for the possibility.

When they finished eating the pair left the restaurant and went searching for places where the classes would be held. They found a couple of gyms and dojo's within walking distance of each other that focused on Judo, karate, Taekwondo, Taiji, Brazilian jujitsu, boxing, kickboxing, and wrestling.

They decided on taking two classes at a dojo: Taekwondo and Karate. They were classes that took place back to back on the same day, three days a week. That would work for them, especially since they had their own training to do.

As they were leaving and walking toward the car they passed a shop front that had a medium sized sign posted in the window and the word dance caught Serena's eye. She paused and stepped back and read the sign, and realized it was an advertisement for classes at a dance studio. She stepped back and looked up the building to the top windows as Darien walked back toward her.

"What's up?" He asked as he looked from her to the building.

"Do you think taking some kind of dance class will help me?" She asked as she pointed to the sign in the window.

Darien frowned thoughtfully as he tried to see how that would help, and blinked as he realized what she meant.

"I think taking gymnastics lessons would be better. It will help with your balance and footwork, so you can dodge better during fights." He said.

Serena nodded and decided he was right.

"I think I saw a gym a few blocks away." Darien said as they began to walk away. "I think they might provide gymnastics lessons or at least know where to go to get them."

The pair backtracked and eventually found the gym and discovered to her delight that it was actually bigger on the inside, and did in fact have gymnastics classes.

They went up to the information desk and began to ask questions as they had at the dojo to see when the classes would be, and how much they would cost and what would be required if she did take the classes.

 **~~uUuUu~~**

Serena and Darien signed up for their classes and began to work out every day. They would meet up at a large park with a recreation center attached directly after school, and stretch and run laps at Darien's direction.

If they couldn't meet up because of an attack they would work out on their own at another point in the day. Then they would go to a secluded area, and he would train her in the hand to hand fighting he remembered mastering in his past.

After working out they would go to their martial arts class or he would drop her off at her gymnastics class and busy himself with other things until her class was done.

Serena's gymnastics class was two days out of the week; thankfully on the days between her martial arts classes and at the same time of day.

It had been an interesting conversation Serena had with her parents after she and Darien made their decision about taking the classes. They hadn't believed she would take the classes seriously, thinking it was just a spur of the moment decision because her friends were taking them, and that she would lose interest.

Needless to say they were surprised when she said none of her friends were taking them or even knew she wanted to take them, and that she wanted to take them to better herself and give herself something to do other than just shopping and playing arcade games.

They had talked about the expense since it was three classes, and she would need clothes for at least two of the classes. They asked if she was willing to give up her allowance, and she agreed easily much to their surprise.

Her parents agreed to give it a few weeks try and see how she did and if she would lose interest, so she began to carry around a duffle bag with all the extra clothes she would need when she left for school.

She had a T-shirt and a pair of thin sweat pants and tennis shoes for her daily workouts with Darien, legging-pants and a tank top that gymnasts wore, and for karate and taekwondo she had a white uniform consisting of a jacket, pants, and belt.

Darien had seen what she used the first day and decided to invest in a duffle bag for himself since he also had his workout clothes and martial arts uniform, and it would make them easier to carry around.

Aside from Serena getting settled into those classes Luna questioned her on why she was taking those classes, and she had to explain that she hoped they would help her fight better so she could deal with the monsters quicker and hopefully with less risk of injury.

Luna had thankfully accepted that and approved of her initiative, and more importantly didn't ask any more questions so she didn't know Serena was taking her martial arts classes with Darien.

What Serena hadn't expected was for Luna to give her a communicator that looked like a small pink calculator. She hadn't expected to see that item until after Amy came along. Luna said it was so she could contact her when she was in her classes in case of an attack. She had one similar to it, so they could get in contact with each other if they were not together.

 **~~uUuUu~~**

Not long after Serena got into her workout routine with Darien she realized that she needed to speak to her parents about Luna. She knew they had seen her around but they hadn't said anything, hadn't done anything beyond give her and Luna sidelong looks.

She had actually been putting it off since she didn't want to spend much time around Luna, and because she was kept busy with her gymnastics and martial arts classes, homework, and spending time with Darien and Molly.

Despite being so busy she had actually noticed Sammy staying clear of Luna just as he had last time. This time she asked Luna to stay away from him, hoping he wouldn't be tempted to try and get a pet of his own or do it out of spite.

"Come on Luna." Serena said as she got up from where she sat on her bed. "It's time to speak to my parents about you, and you need to come and make nice." She explained but Luna looked reluctant to go.

"Or we can forget it and you can masquerade as a stray cat, which means you'll have to spend the majority of your time outside the house and sneaking into my room when you want to speak to me in person." She offered calmly.

"Okay, okay." Luna said as she got up and walked with her out of the room and downstairs.

They found her parents and little brother in the living room. She sat on the couch next to her mother, and Luna leapt into her lap and settled down.

"Mom, Dad." Serena said, gaining their attention. "I know you've noticed this cat around. Her name's Luna, and I want to know if it's alright if I can keep her since it's clear she's sticking around." She finally asked to make it official. Despite them not saying anything she had been slightly concerned that if she didn't say anything they might call animal control to pick her up.

"What?!" Sammy said in shock. "No way!" He objected strongly as he stood up. "I have allergies."

Serena held in a sigh as she knew that was a lie. He just didn't want to come right out and admit he was afraid of cats for some reason.

"Is she nice?" Her mother asked, and Serena nodded.

"Yes. See for yourself." She said, and with that Luna sat up and stepped off her lap and into her mother's lap and curled up against her stomach and purred.

"Awww." Her mother said before she began to pet her soft dark fur. Sammy glared and crossed his arms over his chest.

Her father pursed his lips as he eyed the black cat. "Are you going to take care of it? Make sure it's clean and fed?" He asked, and she nodded.

"Yes, and she'll sleep in my room with me." Serena reassured him, and her parents shared a long silent look.

"Okay. You can keep it." Her father agreed.

"That's not fair!" Sammy nearly shouted. "If she gets to have a pet then I can too!"

"You can have a pet Sammy as long as it's not a dog." The older man said. "I don't want an animal in the house that'll bark all the time and make all kinds of noise at all hours of the day and night."

"Okay!" Sammy said before he gathered his things, and ran out of the room and up the stairs.

Serena closed her eyes and knew that he would somehow find his way to the new pet store if it was already there, and get one of those furry gerbils that the Negaverse was using to steal people's energy.

 _My classmates got those animals last time around as well_. She reminded herself. _I need to take care of that before Sammy gets one_. But she knew she couldn't until she actually saw one and could say she had suspicions about it and where it came from.

* * *

A couple of days after Luna became an official part of her family Serena arrived at school in the morning and walked into her classroom, and paused just inside the door as she took in the sight.

There were at least five of those gerbils that she could see sitting on people's desks with her fellow classmates surrounding them curiously. The classroom smelled pleasantly of perfume that she knew was produced by the little fur balls and was a tactic to lure in others to buy the things.

She stepped further into the room and moved to her desk and put her duffel bag on the floor next to her desk and her school bag on the hook attached to her desk. She then approached a group that was gathered around a desk and stood next to her best friend.

"Hey." Molly said as she looked up. "Isn't it just so cute?"

"Yeah it is." She said, which was true. It was cute, but she knew that too was a lure to get people to buy the things.

"Why did you bring it to school?" Serena asked the girl whose pet they were looking at. After all Luna had come with her to school before, but she hadn't been visible for everyone to see.

"Because it's so cute, and I wanted to share its cuteness and look at it." The girl answered readily, and Serena nodded slowly.

"Okay." She said before she turned and moved back to her desk.

Molly moved after her with a frown. She had listened in and didn't understand why she hadn't thought to wonder why they had brought their pets to school, but now that it was pointed out to her and she wasn't focused on the animal she found herself disturbed by it.

Molly leaned against the desk next to Serena's as she sat down. "This is strange." She said as she looked around at their classmates gathered around the desks where the pets were.

"Yeah." Serena agreed.

"It's like they're all fixated." Molly said, and she nodded.

"Like they can't stop looking at them. I wonder what they would've done if they couldn't bring their pets. Would they have stayed home?" Serena said, and her friend hummed in agreement.

"I was going to ask you if you wanted to go to the pet store and check it out for ourselves but now I don't think it's a good idea." Molly said.

"I wouldn't have been able to go anyway. I'm meeting up with Darien and then we're going to our martial arts classes afterward." She said.

"Oh! That's right. I'm still trying to get used to you going to those classes." Molly said.

"My parents probably feel the same. They're also likely watching to see if I'll lose interest or complain about them." Serena said.

"They don't expect you to keep up with the classes." She stated.

"Yup, but I'm not going to quit. I like the classes. I like the exercise I'm getting and learning how to defend myself." Serena said.

Molly frowned at that but before she could comment their teacher, Ms. Haruna, came in and everyone moved to their seats, and the students who had the gerbils quickly put them away as class started.

It wasn't long however, not even an hour, before those same students took their pets back out and stared at them as they set them on their desks.

Ms. Haruna noticed and told them to put them away, but they refused, so she tried to take them away but the students became violent and then walked out of the class with their pets.

Serena and Molly shared a concerned look before they looked back toward their recovering teacher.

* * *

Serena met up with Darien after school at the park. He was already there stretching since his school was closer and he had a car. She joined him, having changed before she left school, and told him about the gerbils, what happened in class, and what happened last time around with them with her brother getting one.

"A few of my classmates have the things as well, and reacted the same way when the teacher tried to take them away." Darien said. "So what do you want to do?"

"We should go check out the store they came from and see what we can see." Serena said and he nodded.

"We'll go after our classes." He said.

"Okay." She said.

With their plan set they finished stretching and began to run their laps. They ran six laps around the wide area they had been stretching in before Darien began to test Serena in the fighting moves he had been teaching her.

They were still moving through them slowly as Serena got used to them, but Darien was satisfied that soon she would be able to move through them faster and they could begin working in what they were learning in their classes.

When they finished their training they grabbed their things and left the park. Darien drove them to the dojo where their classes were held, and they changed into their uniforms and joined their fellow classmates in stretching in preparation for their lessons.

Three hours later their second class was over and the couple changed back into their workout clothes before they left and headed to the pet shop.

Darien parked a few blocks away and they walked in the setting sun to the pet shop that was easily recognizable as new. They walked in and were immediately assaulted by the strong scent of perfume.

They ignored it and began to look around and see if they could possibly take out the monster at that point before the animals spread around the city further and steal even more energy. Serena saw a red headed woman in a knee length long sleeve light blue dress and brushed her fingers against Darien's hand to gain his attention.

"That's the shop owner and the monster." She pointed quietly.

Darien's eyes shifted to the woman speaking to some kids and what appeared to be their parents as she pulled out one of the gerbils from its cage.

"We can't deal with her right now with all these people around." He said as he looked back to Serena, and she nodded.

"We'll have to come back when the store closes." She said, and he hummed in agreement.

"Do you want to go home or do something else to pass the time?" Darien asked.

"I'd rather stay with you and do my homework so I won't have to worry about it after the fight when I get home. Plus, I can tell my parents that's what I was doing and why I was coming in late." Serena said and he nodded.

"Then let's get out of here." Darien said and began to lead her out of the store.

 **~~uUuUu~~**

Late in the evening, well after night had fallen, Sailor Moon stood in the opening to the narrow alley directly across the street from the pet shop as she gazed at the entrance.

Tuxedo Mask stepped up behind her and saw a trail of children entering the store. He remembered her telling him the same thing happened before and the children were used against her. This time she wouldn't be alone; _this_ time she would have back up instead of hoping he would show up in the nick of time to help her.

"Are you ready?" He asked after the last child entered the store and the door closed.

"Yes." Sailor Moon said as she looked up to him.

He nodded and they began to make their way across the street, easily avoiding the light traffic, and tried the door to the shop. It was still unlocked so they quietly slipped inside. The store appeared to be empty aside from the gerbils in their cages, but they knew the children and the monster were somewhere inside.

They continued through the store and stopped as they turned into an aisle, and found themselves faced with the children that had entered earlier. They were completely silent and just stood there staring blankly at them.

"Looks like we have two intruders that don't belong." They suddenly heard a feminine voice say before the voices owner walked up behind the children. "I can't have you here. Take care of our uninvited guests." She ordered the children.

The children's eyes began to glow before they turned lime green and narrowed. Their teeth began to grow pointed as their face and hands and all visible skin shifted until it was blue and scaly and their fingers grew claws. The changed children began to growl at them before they began to step forward.

Sailor Moon didn't hesitate as she quickly pulled off her tiara, and charged it up until it glowed and floated as a white disk above her fingers.

"Moon Tiara Stardust!" She said and threw it so it flew above the children's heads.

It circled above their heads and rained down glittery dust and slowly changed the children back into their normal selves before it returned to her.

Meanwhile Tuxedo Mask threw a rose at the woman who jumped back to dodge it.

"I'll distract her while you get the children away." He said and she nodded.

"Come on children!" She called as he easily leapt over the group of children, tossing roses at the woman.

Sailor Moon herded the children toward the front of the story, making sure none of them still had a gerbil, and then outside and told them to hurry home, that it was dangerous there.

The children were confused and a bit in awe of this woman who was like Sailor V to them, so they nodded and began to run away, scattering in different directions presumably toward their homes.

Sailor Moon hurried back inside and followed the sounds of crashes to the back of the store. Just as she reached it there was a loud crash that sounded like a small explosion, and she ducked behind a wall of gerbil cages to avoid flying debris.

Once the noise stopped she continued on her way, through the dust and smoke in the air, and found a large hole in the back of the building. She stepped through it carefully to the sound of a low growl.

First she saw Tuxedo Mask's back and then her eyes shifted beyond him to the woman they had come to deal with. She was in the process of shifting into the monster she was.

Short red hair and pale skin shifted to wild long red hair and a blue skin tone. Soon the dress she had worn was gone and what stood before them was a tall blue lizard-like scaly humanoid with a long tail, long red hair, and narrow lime green eyes.

Sailor Moon continued forward until she stood at Tuxedo Mask's side, and stared at the monster as she made sure her body was loose and ready to move.

The monster didn't say a word before it attacked. She shifted and her tail came swinging toward them. Tuxedo Mask and Sailor Moon both leapt back and off in opposite directions to split the monsters attention between them.

Tuxedo Mask threw a hand full of roses at the monster, which exploded against it and around it, but didn't distract it enough to prevent it from swinging its tail at Sailor Moon.

Sailor Moon dodged and jumped over the tail but was unprepared for it to snap back toward her. It slammed into her side and sent her careening into and through a wooden fence with a pained cry.

Tuxedo Mask frowned as he saw and heard Sailor Moon slam through the wooden fence. He wanted to go to her, but he had to trust that she was okay. Instead he threw more roses at the monster to keep its attention on him, and give her time to recover and rejoin the fight.

Sailor Moon groaned as she pushed pieces of wood off her and spit out a bit of blood, having bit her tongue during her abrupt landing. She grimaced as she got up, her body aching, but hurried back to where she knew Tuxedo Mask was with the monster.

She arrived to see him dodging the monsters tail, which broke up the cement as it crashed against the ground, and pulled her tiara off and charged it up until it was a glowing white disk.

She watched as Tuxedo Mask turned and launched roses at the monster, and as they exploded against the monster she threw her tiara wordlessly at the base of the monsters tail, not wanting to call out and alert the monster. She recalled that was where the monster was weak and hoped nothing had somehow changed with that.

Her tiara struck its target and the monster screamed as its body began to turn an ashy white, and within moments the scream trailed off and the body began to crumble as it was destroyed.

Sailor Moon sighed wearily as she caught her tiara as it returned to her, and walked toward Tuxedo Mask as he relaxed.

"Are you okay?" He asked, and she nodded.

"Yes. I'm aching but not seriously hurt." She answered. "What about you? Are you okay?"

"Yes." He assured her. "Although, I didn't at all like seeing you going through that fence."

"I'm sorry you had to see that, but it's very likely not the last you'll see such an occurrence." She admitted.

Tuxedo Mask nodded in resignation. _We_ _'ll work on various dodging methods during our training_. He promised himself.

"Let's get out of here before anyone from the Negaverse shows up." Sailor Moon said. He nodded and they began to jog away, disappearing into the night.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer** **: I do not own Sailor Moon or her characters, and have no right to it except as a long time fan.**

Unexpected Restart  
Chapter Five: The Next Scout

A week had passed since Serena and Darien had taken care of the monster masquerading as a pet shop owner for the Negaverse and all had been quiet.

They had continued their routine of working out, training, and going to their martial arts classes, and gymnastics in her case. On top of that they studied together and went on little dates as they continued to get to know each other and spend relaxing quality time together.

Much to Serena's pleasure they were becoming closer but they had yet to share another kiss like they had when she helped him remember who he was. She wondered if he was waiting for something, and then she wondered if _she_ was waiting for something since she hadn't initiated one yet.

She still missed who she privately thought of as _her_ Darien, but her affection for the present Darien was growing stronger and stronger as the days passed and they continued to spend time together.

Darien was always holding her hand and touching her hair. He never failed to encourage her regardless if they were training, in their martial arts classes, or just doing their homework.

When they were involved in a fight against monsters he would always fight alongside her and stay afterwards. She still wasn't used to him staying after fights, but it made her feel supported, like he had her back. Before she came back Tuxedo Mask had always made her feel like he supported her, but it was even more so now.

 _During our next date or when the next opportunity comes I'll kiss him_. She decided.

Other than that all was going well in school, and her friendship with Molly was as strong as ever, maybe stronger, so she was pleased about that.

Now it was a new school day and everyone had just taken their seats as their teacher came in. Once it was quiet she announced they had a student joining their class, transferring over from another class.

She gestured toward the door and it opened and in walked a girl Serena recognized instantly. She was slender with short blue hair a few inches above her shoulder, blue eyes, and wore the school uniform but had a light gray long sleeve sweater over her top.

"Class, this is Amy Anderson. Please welcome her." The teacher said, and the students did, in unison, and Amy smiled lightly before their teacher pointed her to an open seat in the middle of the room not far from Serena's seat.

Serena stared at Amy's back since she was seated ahead of her, and recalled that it was nearly a week after her arrival in that class before she was revealed to be Sailor Mercury.

 _Can I make it happen sooner, and possibly prevent the fiasco in Amy's after school class?_ She wondered. _In fact, maybe we can take care of that situation sooner if Amy can be revealed before that event_.

 _Yes, but how can I bring to Luna's attention that Amy is a scout? What can I say to get Luna to look at her since she's the one who has to give Amy her transformation pen?_ She wondered. _Perhaps I need to have another conversation with Luna about how we're to know who a scout is. Then maybe a solution will come to me. Until then I should try and befriend her._

Serena glanced over to Molly and decided she would involve her, so she wouldn't think she was trying to pull away or _would be_ pulled away by the possible new friendship.

* * *

Later that day, in the late afternoon, she got home and went up to her room after greeting her parents. She closed her door and dropped her duffle bag and school bag off to the side before she went and sat on her bed and began to message her ankle. That day she'd had gymnastics class and had tweaked her ankle slightly as she was practicing a flip on a trampoline.

"Are you okay?" Luna, who had been lying at the end of her bed, came over and asked.

"Yes. I just tweaked my ankle a little in class. It should be alright in the morning." Serena said as she continued to rub her ankle.

Luna nodded and settled down next to her, and Serena took the opportunity to have that talk she wanted to have with her about the Scouts.

"You said each scout will be marked by their planetary symbol." She said as she looked to her, and watched Luna nodded. "Are you the only one who can see them, and are there any other ways to identify the scouts?"

"I believe only I can see them." Luna answered before she sighed. "I don't know if there are any other ways to identify them." She added and paused for a few moments. "Give me a few minutes to think."

Serena nodded. "I'm going to get started on my homework while you do that." She said as she got up. She walked over to her school bag and grabbed it before she returned to her bed and began to pull out what she needed.

"I'm not sure but I believe there are traits each scout has. Intelligence, strength, passion, justice, and love." Luna said nearly half an hour later.

"Does each scout have more than one of those traits?" Serena asked as she looked up from her homework.

"I believe so. Each scout will embody one trait more strongly than the rest." Luna explained, and Serena nodded.

"Will their planetary symbol be visible to you all the time or only at certain times?" She asked.

"I believe it will be strongly visible under duress, but will still be visible all the time nonetheless." Luna answered.

Serena nodded once again. _She likely has to be looking for the symbol because she would have seen it with Amy, Raye, and Lita at some point before they were revealed the last time around_. She thought as she glanced away from her.

"I'll look for those traits now that I know them." She said and Luna nodded.

"Good. Let me know if you find anything." She said seriously.

 **~~uUuUu~~**

The next day at school Serena waited until lunch time to actually take a good look at Amy as the girl was sitting by herself. Though she apparently hadn't needed to look so hard. There blazing brilliantly on her forehead was the blue symbol of Mercury. She could only guess she hadn't seen it the day before because her hair had been in the way.

She'd honestly never seen any of the girl's planetary symbol before, but she hadn't been looking either. _Then again I might be able to see the symbol now because I'm the Moon Princess and Amy is my guardian scout_. She thought quietly. She obviously hadn't known she was the princess until they were all scouts, so the symbol probably wouldn't have needed to be visible.

"I'm going to introduce myself to the new girl in our class." Serena said as she looked to her friends, Molly in particular. "She looks lonely over there by herself."

The small group looked across the courtyard to the blue haired girl, and saw her eating her lunch on her own.

"Are you sure?" One of the girls asked. "I heard from some others that she isn't much of a talker, and they got the feeling of being snubbed."

"Some say she thinks she's better than anyone, and that's why she doesn't talk." Another girl said.

Serena just stood up with her lunch. "Maybe she's just shy." She said simply before she began to walk over to her.

 _Amy didn't come check on me after Tuxedo Mask was captured, but she didn't think he was an enemy either_. She reminded herself as she walked. _Maybe she didn't come because she thought I wanted to be alone_. She thought positively, giving her the benefit of the doubt.

She stopped in front of her and watched her look up as she blinked her eyes. She smiled softly, her eyes once again taking in the bright blue planetary symbol, before her eyes shifted back to hers.

"Hi. I'm Serena Tsukino. I thought you could use some company." She said, and Amy looked at her shyly.

"I'm Amy Anderson." She replied softly. "It was thoughtful of you to come speak to me."

"If it was me I wouldn't want to spend lunch time alone." Serena said as she sat next to her, and placed her lunch on her lap. "How do you like being in our class so far?" She asked.

"I like it. It isn't so different than the last class I was in, but it is definitely less rowdy and more calm and structured." Amy said, and Serena nodded.

"You must like that." She said, and Amy nodded silently. "So, what do you like to do for fun?" She asked.

Amy frowned as she thought. "Nothing really. I just study, and read when I'm not studying." She answered, and Serena hummed.

"What do you like to read?" She asked curiously.

"I like romance novels." Amy said shyly.

"I prefer manga, but I wouldn't mind giving romance novels a try." Serena said with a smile. "What else do you like?" She asked, knowing that wasn't all Amy liked.

Amy was silent for a few moments and Serena continued to eat her lunch and give her time to decide what she wanted to say.

"I also like playing chess, swimming, and computers." She answered. "What about you? What do you like?" She asked quietly.

"I like reading manga, like I said before, and I like eating, sleeping, shopping, and cooking though I'm not good at it." Serena said. "I just started taking martial arts and gymnastics classes, and I'm really liking those as well."

"Wow." Amy said, and she nodded.

"What about your friends?" Serena asked, though she already knew she didn't have any.

Amy blushed in embarrassment and sighed. "I don't have any. People don't like me because my shyness comes off as arrogance."

"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that." Serena said, and Amy shrugged.

"What about your friends?" She asked, and Serena pointed toward her group of friends.

"Those are my friends. The red head is my best friend. She and I have been friends since we were little." Serena said. She thought it best Amy know about Molly now and how close they were, so she wouldn't try and say they shouldn't be friends for Molly's own good. Though she knew it was likely she and Luna would still eventually bring it up.

"I also have a boyfriend." She added, and Amy blinked in surprise.

"Really?" She said, and Serena nodded.

"He's in high school, and so cute and smart. We take those martial arts classes I mentioned before together. We get to do something we like, that's good for us, and spend time together at the same time." She added.

"That's good multitasking." Amy said, and Serena grinned and nodded.

The two continued to talk and eat their lunch for the rest of the lunch hour, and then headed back to class together.

* * *

That same day after Darien dropped Serena off at home from their martial arts class she found Luna in her room as usual, and closed the door before she told her that a girl in her class, Amy, was Sailor Mercury.

"What?!" Luna exclaimed as she sat up. "How can you be so sure?"

"I could see the planetary symbol you talked about before. It glowed bright blue on her forehead in the shape of the symbol for Mercury." Serena said, and Luna stared in surprise.

"You can really see it?" She asked, and Serena nodded.

"Amy just transferred into my class from another yesterday, but I didn't see the symbol because her hair was in the way. Today I paid closer attention and saw it right away. I spoke to her and she's a quiet, shy girl, and extremely smart. She likes swimming, computers, reading, and playing chess." She explained.

"Wow." Luna said, her eyes wide in surprise before shifting to a thoughtful look as she gazed at her. "I'm going to have to see this girl for myself." She said and Serena nodded.

"Come to school with me tomorrow. Once you confirm it then we can get things started with her." She said. _It's definitely better than having it happen during a fight_.

"What of your after school class?" Luna asked.

"Amy has an after school class as well, so we can do it after that. We can meet outside the building where Amy's class is and go from there. That will give you time to observe her before we talk." Serena said.

"Okay." Luna agreed. "What does she look like?" She asked.

"She's about my height with blue eyes and short blue hair above her shoulders." Serena said and Luna nodded thoughtfully.

"I'll keep an eye on her as soon as I spot her." She said.

 **~~uUuUu~~**

During school the next day Serena managed to get some time alone with Luna and she confirmed that Amy was in fact Sailor Mercury. Luna informed her she would follow Amy after school as they had planned and meet up with her after her gymnastics class.

Serena agreed to that and the rest of the school day went as usual, but with the added addition of Amy spending the lunch hour with Serena and her small group of friends.

After school Serena said goodbye to her friends and went and met Darien at the park as was their usual, and explained what was going to happen that day with Amy as she began to stretch. He understood and hoped all went well.

From there they finished stretching and began their exercises before they shifted into their training. Once they finished Darien drove Serena to the gym for her gymnastics class and waited out in his car for it to finish. When she came out and joined him in the car he drove her to the address she had told him about, and pulled up to the building where Amy's class was being held.

"Good luck." Darien said before he leaned over and kissed her for added benefit.

"With that kiss everything is sure to go well now." Serena said, and he laughed and she grabbed her bags. "I'll see you tomorrow unless something happens before then." She said.

"Okay." He said with a nod. "Bye."

"Bye." She replied with a smile before she opened the door and got out. She closed the door and waved as she stepped back and watched him drive off. She checked her watch and saw that she was just in time for Amy to get out of class.

She looked around and saw Luna hurrying toward her, and she leaned down and picked her up and listened as she told her about the strange zombie-like behavior of the students when they started studying on the computers in Amy's class.

Serena frowned appropriately as was expected. "Do you think it has something to do with the enemy?" She asked.

"I'm not sure, but I hope after talking to Amy we'll find out." Luna said.

A few minutes later Amy came out and was surprised to see Serena.

"Did you just come from your gymnastics class?" Amy said as she walked over to her. She saw that her new friend was still in her gymnastics clothes and though her hair was still up in her unique hair style the two long streams were pulled together into a ponytail in a way that would keep her hair from going all over the place.

"Yeah." Serena said with a smile. "This is Luna." She said as she looked down to the black cat who was still in her arms, and watched as she leapt onto Amy's shoulders, startling the girl.

"She's very nice." She assured Amy as she picked up her school and duffel bags. "Can we talk and hangout for a bit?" She asked.

"Sure. Where do you want to go?" Amy asked.

"Somewhere where we can do our homework since I don't know how long we'll be talking." Serena said.

"We can go back to my place." Amy said even though she was confused since it sounded like Serena wanted to talk to her about something. Serena nodded and they began to walk.

"So how was your class?" She asked.

"It was okay. I thought it was boring, but I'm there for the harder material and not to have fun so it doesn't really matter. Besides that, no one talks to each other. Everyone is so quiet and focused on their own studies. It's a bit strange, but I think that's the point of being there so I try to ignore it." Amy explained.

Serena nodded as Luna listened carefully. Serena didn't really care since she already knew what was going on with their enemy's involvement. She just had never asked Amy if she had liked the class before learning that a monster was the teacher.

"How did your gymnastics class go?" Amy asked.

"It was so much fun even though it was hard." Serena said with a smile. "I'm learning different flips and how to balance on a long beam. It's mounted on the floor since I'm still new, and they don't want me falling and hurting myself, but I can't wait to try the beam that's higher up."

Amy smiled as she listened to her new friend talk excitedly. She liked how friendly and passionate she was. She was out there, but in a quiet sure way that appealed to her shy personality.

Despite her confusion on why she was there waiting for her she couldn't wait to see what would happen during their time together. She even looked forward to seeing how Luna reacted to her home.

They eventually made it to her apartment building and up to her apartment. Amy noticed right away from the darkness that her mother wasn't home.

"My mom's a doctor and it looks like she's still at the hospital." Amy said as she turned on the lights.

"That's cool. My mom stays at home, but my dad is a journalist and sometimes he comes home much later then we expect. Sometimes without an explanation except that it was work related." Serena said sympathetically, and Amy nodded.

"Because with his kind of work he wouldn't be able to talk about it." She said.

"Yup." Serena said as she nodded.

The two girls settled in the living room since they had the apartment to themselves and spread their things on the couch and coffee table before Amy got them something to drink.

As they started on their homework Serena looked to Luna, idly watching her explore their surroundings. She wanted Luna to do the talking and explaining, but she was aware she needed to get the conversation started. Plus she was aware she had the chance to show her assertiveness and leadership early. Hopefully that would help when it came to explaining Tuxedo Mask wasn't an enemy.

"So, what do you think of Sailor V?" She asked and Amy looked up thoughtfully.

"I never actually thought about her, but now that you bring her up I wonder how she became Sailor V and why she decided to do what she's doing." She said thoughtfully, and Serena nodded.

"That's not something I thought about at first." She said.

"What did you think?" Amy asked curiously.

"I thought she was so cool and amazing, and I wondered what it was like to be her." Serena answered. "It wasn't until recently that I thought about what it must be like for Sailor V with keeping her identity a secret and all the fighting she does."

"That actually hadn't occurred to me." Amy said as she hummed thoughtfully.

"I don't think it does for many people." Serena said with a nod. "Have you heard of Sailor Moon?" She asked after a few long thoughtful moments.

"Yes. I understand that she's new unlike Sailor V who seems to have been around for a little while. I've wondered if the two scouts know about each other since they're never reported to have been seen together." Amy said and Serena nodded.

"What would you think if you knew the scout was our age and a school student just like us?" She asked.

"I would be surprised. Both she and Sailor V look like they're older." Amy replied, and she nodded slowly.

"What would you say if I said I was Sailor Moon?" Serena asked as she watched her.

Amy paused in the process of turning the page of her textbook and glanced over at her new friend; her face was serious.

"Like what would I say if you could be Sailor Moon?" She asked hesitantly.

"No." Serena said as she shook her head. "Like if I really _was_ Sailor Moon."

"You're really serious." Amy said as she looked at her straight on.

"Yes I am." Serena said.

Amy frowned slightly and looked hesitant.

"I can prove it." Serena said seriously.

Amy looked on curiously and Serena stood up and glanced to the windows before she moved to close the curtains. She then moved next to the couch and glanced to Luna, who was sitting still watching her and Amy, not that Amy had noticed, and pulled her brooch out of her subspace pocket and held it out in front of her.

"Moon Prism Power." She said firmly, and was instantly surrounded in warm pink light.

Amy squinted her eyes at the bright light and when it cleared she blinked in shock as her eyes took in her friend standing as Sailor Moon.

She took in the white bodysuit and the blue miniskirt and the knee high red boots, long white gloves and golden tiara. She could clearly see now that this scout was Serena, especially with her hair style, but she still looked older, different to her eyes.

"Oh wow." She said softly as she blinked rapidly, and watched her friend smile and twirl where she stood before she sat back down where she had been before. "You're actually Sailor Moon." She said.

"Yes." Serena said with a nod. "I've been a scout for a couple of weeks now."

"This is...this is shocking and amazing, but why are you revealing this to me?" Amy asked.

"Because you're just like me?" Serena answered, and Amy frowned and shook her head.

"No. You must be mistaken." She said.

"If you don't believe me you can speak to the one who made me a scout." Serena said.

Amy blinked as it hadn't occurred to her that someone had made her a scout. She just kind of vaguely thought she had become a scout on her own, so this was surprising especially as she watched her gesture to her side and saw that she obviously meant her cat.

"Luna! She made you a scout?!" She said incredulously as she looked from Luna back to Serena.

"Indeed I did." Luna said after she cleared her throat, and Amy's eyes widened in surprise as she heard the cat talk. "You are indeed a scout just like Serena. You are in fact Sailor Mercury." She continued.

Amy's eyes skittered around in disbelief and then watched as the black feline sprang off the floor, high in the air, and did a flip that produced what looked like a pen. It fell toward her and she grabbed it before it could fall on the floor or table, and saw that it was blue on the bottom half and gold on the top half with the symbol for Mercury engraved as a pendant at the top of the pen.

"That is your transformation pen." Luna said. "All you have to say is 'mercury power' and you will have all the proof you need to believe."

Amy looked at the pen in her hand and was surprised at how heavy it felt, and suspected it was made of real gold but it felt _right_ in her hand.

She looked to Luna and saw her expectant look, and then to Serena and saw her smile gently with a confident look on her face. She took a deep breath and released it slowly before she nodded and stood up.

"Okay." She said as she moved away from the couch and once again looked at the pen. "Mercury Power!" She called and flinched slightly as she was engulfed in blue light. The light felt moist and cool, but it wasn't uncomfortable. It actually felt right to her.

When the light faded Amy opened her eyes and gasped as she looked down and saw what she was wearing. It looked identical to what Serena was wearing except her colors were blue and light blue.

She lifted her arms and looked at the gloves covering them in amazed bewilderment before she ran into her mother's room. She had a full length mirror, and she needed to see all of herself. She turned on the light as she entered the room and hurried directly to the mirror. She stood in front of it and looked at herself slowly as she twisted to the right and left.

She took in the white bodysuit, blue miniskirt and matching sailor collar, the long white gloves and the light blue bows on her chest and lower back, and the tall blue boots. She thought the skirt and boots would make her uncomfortable, but she felt fine. Not in the least bit embarrassed or shy.

She took in the gold tiara on her forehead with its blue gem and the triple blue bead earrings, and vaguely wondered about them. She only had one piercing in each ear, so how did she have two more?

Amy blinked as Serena appeared in the mirror behind her, still transformed, and her eyes shifted from her own mirror image to Serena's and back again.

"It's true. I really am a sailor scout. Sailor Mercury." She breathed out.

Serena nodded and put a hand on her shoulder. "Welcome to the team." She said softly.

"Thanks." Amy said absently as she stared at herself. She reached up and touched the earrings in her right ear, and flinched as a blue transparent screen appeared out of nowhere and slid across her eyes.

"What the heck?!" She exclaimed in shock before she blinked and saw images, numbers, and arrows and flashing lights as indicators.

"Come on. Let's go back into the living room. Luna will hopefully have answers to your questions." Serena said.

They turned and began to walk out, Amy pausing long enough to turn off the light, and headed back into the living room. They took their previous seats and Luna moved to sit on the couch closer to them so she could see them better.

"What is this?" Amy immediately asked as she gestured to the screen across her eyes.

"That is your Mercury Goggles." Luna answered. "It will help you scan and analyze enemies and occurrences during fights as well as make any calculations you might need."

Amy nodded and brought her hand back up to her ear and touched the lowest earring. The screen disappeared and she touched the earring again and the screen reappeared. She nodded again, this time to herself in satisfaction at her discovery, before she touched the earring yet again and made the screen disappear.

"Does Amy have anything else she'll be able to use like that?" Serena asked calmly since she knew that she in fact had her minicomputer as well. Plus she didn't want to wait for a crucial moment for Amy to need it for Luna to finally give it to her.

Luna hummed thoughtfully before she once again sprang into the air and flipped once. As she completed the flip a light blue object appeared and fell toward Amy.

Amy caught it and looked at the small rectangular object with the Mercury symbol printed on the top in blue. She flipped it over as she looked at it before she opened it.

"Oh!" She said in surprise. "It's a little laptop."

"It's a Super Computer that is also capable of analyzing enemies, objects, and occurrences. It can also be used to solve very complex mathematic and scientific problems." Luna explained.

"It can probably do many other things, but you'll have to explore it to find out exactly what." Serena pointed out.

"Wow." Amy said quietly as she clicked around on the minicomputer. "I can already tell I'll be using this a lot."

Serena nodded as she watched her before her eyes shifted to Luna as she once again leapt up and flipped into the air. A pink object appeared, and she instantly knew what it was.

Amy quickly caught it, and saw that it was a tiny pink calculator.

"It's your communicator, so we can contact each other when we aren't together." Serena said.

"I have one as well, so you can contact us both if need be. It's simple to use, and you should keep it on you at all times." Luna added.

Amy nodded but paused as she looked at her new minicomputer and communicator.

"Where am I supposed to keep them?" She asked. Common sense told her she couldn't just have them out in the open where anyone could see.

"Keep them in your subspace pocket." Serena told her, and she blinked.

"What?" Amy asked in confusion.

"Focus on your transformation pen and gesture slightly with your hand." Serena said.

Amy did and gasped as her transformation pen appeared in her hand. She frowned slightly and focused on wanting to put it away, and the blue and gold pen disappeared. She did the same thing with her new items and they disappeared in the blink of an eye.

"I'm impressed." She readily admitted.

Serena nodded then released her transformation, and Amy followed suit figuring it was best since she had no idea when her mother would arrive.

"I can't believe this just happened. This is all so surreal." Amy said then sighed. "What are we supposed to do? What is our purpose?" She asked since no one ever said what Sailor V did whenever she was mentioned.

"We fight the monsters attacking people and stop them from taking their energy." Serena said.

"It is also your duty to find the Moon Princess and protect her. You, along with Serena, are one of her guardian scouts, and until she is found she is in danger." Luna added seriously.

"Who is this princess, and why is she so important?" Amy asked.

"She was the heir to the throne of the Moon in the past, and was sent to a future on Earth with all the rest of us where we would have another chance at life." Luna said. "Judging by the monsters attacking people the enemy was sent as well which is unfortunate. It was likely an all or nothing choice."

"The princess is the only one who can wield the imperial silver crystal and protect it. That is why she is in danger. Should the enemy find her first they might kill her or force her to fight on their side." She explained further.

Serena kept her silence; only nodding along with what Luna was saying. She felt that it was best Luna did all the talking about the princess. That way when it was revealed that she was the princess, or rather that she _knew_ she was the princess all along, she could say she hadn't remembered the things Luna was saying and knew it wasn't time for her to speak up anyway.

"Where do you fit in to all this?" Amy asked Luna.

"It's my job to help find you, awaken you, and guide you and the others along your path as scouts." The feline revealed.

"You mentioned other guardian scouts. How many are there?" Amy asked.

"I don't remember, but I will know them when I see them." She replied.

"So we're reincarnated." Amy said. She figured that was what Luna meant when she said 'sent to a future on earth' and 'another chance at life'.

"Yes." Luna said as she nodded. "The Queen sent us with the power of the silver crystal."

Serena closed her eyes to hide her emotions. She had been dead at that point, but the silver crystal had seen fit to inform her of the events that happened after she was gone. She knew that her mother had used all of her energy to send everyone that had been on the Moon to the Earth. The people to be reincarnated, and the evil to be sealed.

 _Clearly the seal broke at some point_. She thought with a silent sigh before she opened her eyes.

"Will we remember our past?" Amy asked.

"I hope so. I remember pieces of mine, and hope the gaps will fill in as time passes." Luna said optimistically, and she nodded thoughtfully.

"What is it like to fight? What was it like the first time?" Amy asked as she looked to Serena, and listened as she described her first fight in detail.

After that they spent the rest of the time talking about the different fights Serena had been in to try and help Amy get an idea of what was to come, and doing their homework before Serena and Luna left for home.

 **~~uUuUu~~**

The next day found Serena and Darien working out as was their usual after school. Serena had informed Darien of how things went with Amy while she stretched, and what she had noticed after the two had released their transformations.

She had been able to see the Mercury symbol glowing brightly on Amy's forehead, and had to focus to tune it out so she wouldn't stare at it, but once she became a scout it had disappeared.

"That's strange, but it probably happened because she's been identified as a scout and it doesn't need to be there anymore." Darien said, and Serena nodded and hummed thoughtfully.

"That aside I think it sounds like everything went very well. I hope it's the same for the other girls when they're revealed." He added.

"Me too." Serena agreed, her mind immediately going to Raye. _I wonder if it's possible to get to her before an attack happens to reveal her as Mars._ She wondered, though she still wasn't looking forward to seeing the priestess any time soon.

After that bit of news the late afternoon went the same as usual. They finished their workout, trained, and went to their martial arts classes.

At present Serena and Darien were just leaving the dojo after their karate lessons when her communicator started going off. They paused briefly before moving off to the side of the building, Darien covering her, as she pulled out the device and answered.

"Serena here." She said.

"Amy's fighting at her school!" Luna's voice came through urgent and quick. "The teacher of her class is a monster. You have to come quick. Amy needs help!"

"I'll be there as soon as I can. Serena out." She said before she ended the communication.

"How do you want to do this?" She asked as she looked to Darien.

"We can transform on the way. I'll hang back and wait to enter the area of the fight until you go in, so we don't arrive together and cause suspicion." He said.

Serena nodded in agreement as they began to jog and look for a subtle area to transform.

"We'll meet back at your car afterward since my school bag is still in there." She added.

"Alright." He agreed easily.

They finally reached a secluded place and put their duffle bags away in their subspace pocket before Serena pulled out her brooch and Darien a red rose. They transformed quickly into Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask before they ran the rest of the way; leaping rooftops and fire escapes until they reached the building that housed Amy's after school class.

"See you soon." Sailor Moon said as she looked to her companion, and listened as he hummed in agreement.

She then jumped down from the roof to the ground and rushed through the main door. She moved toward the stairs and quickly ran up them two at a time until she reached the third floor then dashed down the hall toward where she remembered Amy's classroom being.

She spotted a bit of fog seeping out from under one of the doors and slid to a stop in front of it. She quickly opened the door and found the fight was going on in the room just as it had before. The only difference was that she was just now getting there and Amy was fighting alone.

Sailor moon stepped in and saw through the clearing fog the same monster she had fought the first time around when Amy was revealed as a scout. It was a tall, red skinned female, with black hair with a grayish undertone, and wore a black sleeveless body suit.

Some of the students were down and others were still up and moving toward Mercury who was standing at the front of the room. Already Sailor Moon could see that the monster had used those razor sharp papers on her. They were stuck in the walls and Mercury had a cut that was bleeding on her bare upper arm.

"Mercury!" She called. "Come out into the hallway where there's more room!" She said as she gestured toward the door.

Sailor Mercury hurried toward her and out the doorway just as a sharp test paper lodged into the doorjamb.

"Are you okay?" Sailor Moon asked as she gently touched her arm where the cut was.

"Yes. I was just surprised by the attack. I didn't expect razor sharp pieces of paper to fly at me." Sailor Mercury said, and she nodded.

"I'll be careful and watch out for that attack." Sailor Moon said. "What's with the fog?" She asked as they began to move further down the hall away from the door to the classroom.

"It's an attack or defense that provides cover so we can't be seen by the monster. It's really cold as well." Sailor Mercury said.

Sailor Moon nodded again but before she could say anything students began to pour out of the classroom and head toward them.

"What's with the students?" She asked quickly.

"They're being controlled by the monster." Sailor Mercury replied. "It was the programming we were given to help us study. I didn't use it since I prefer to study my own way."

"Okay. I'll take care of them or at least the ones that are about to attack us." Sailor Moon said as she pulled off her tiara. She charged it up until it was a glowing white disk hovering above her gloved fingertips.

"Moon Tiara Stardust!" She said as she threw it. The disk soared above the students near the ceiling and circled repeatedly above the students as it rained down glittery dust. They began to fall unconscious and collapse to the floor one by one as the taint of the brainwashing was removed.

"Provide us some cover." She told Mercury just as her tiara was finishing.

"What about your tiara?" Sailor Mercury asked.

"Don't worry about it. I'll still be able to catch it when it returns." She assured her, and the blue scout nodded as she set her feet.

"Mercury Bubbles Blast!" Sailor Mercury called out, and a cold fog spread through the hallway as Moon's tiara began to return toward them.

Sailor Moon caught it and just as she was putting it back on they heard blasts and the monster scream. Sailor Mercury quickly activated her visor to see what was happening.

"There's a masked man attacking the monster." She informed her companion.

"That's Tuxedo Mask. He's here to help." Sailor Moon revealed. "Tell me what's happening." She told her since she couldn't see with the fog.

"It looks like he's throwing flowers that are creating mini explosions when they hit the monster. The monster is trying to block with its arm and move out of the way but the attacks are still coming in its direction." Sailor Mercury narrated.

"It's running this way; swinging its arm high, and it looks like an axe." She continued in surprise. "Duck!" She yelled suddenly.

They both ducked down to the floor and Sailor Moon moved off to the side against the wall for good measure, which was a good thing as the monsters axe arm slammed down on the floor right where she had been standing as it rushed by.

Tuxedo Mask moved cautiously through the fog, stepping over the teens that were unconscious on the floor, and toward the scouts and where the monster had gone.

"Sailor Moon?" He lightly called out when he came across no more bodies as he moved forward.

"I'm here." Sailor Moon said as she stepped toward him as she stood up and spotted his silhouette in the fog.

"Are you okay?" He asked as his eyes scanned her body from head to toe.

"Yeah." She answered promptly, not wanting him to worry. "Mercury! Come here." She called.

Within moments Sailor Mercury was at her side, her visor still activated, and glancing at the man that had joined them while looking down the hallway through the fog.

"What's the monster doing now?" Sailor Moon asked.

"It's standing at the end of the hall, shivering, and trying to see us through the fog." She answered.

"Can you lift the fog, and if you can't how long will it last?" Sailor Moon asked, and Mercury blushed.

"I don't know if I can lift it, but it should be thinning soon since it didn't last long inside the classroom." She informed her, and Sailor Moon nodded.

"Can you keep the monster distracted when the fog clears, so I can get in a good shot at it?" She asked Tuxedo Mask.

"No problem." He agreed.

They waited then for the fog to thin enough to see, relying on Sailor Mercury to tell them if the monster was going to attack. It did.

"More papers are headed our way!" Sailor Mercury called, and they all dropped to the floor and the sharp papers flew pass them and embedded themselves into the walls.

"The fog is beginning to thin." She said after a few long minutes.

"That's my cue." Tuxedo Mask said before he looked to Sailor Moon. "Let me know when you're ready."

Sailor Moon nodded and he got to his feet and began to cautiously walk toward the monster. He pulled out a couple of roses and tossed them ahead of him, and heard them land without a sound until a pained cry came signaling that at least one had made contact.

Before Tuxedo Mask could pull out more roses he heard a swishing sound and quickly moved to the side just as the monsters arm came swinging down an axe blade where a hand should be. He stepped back a few more steps as he summoned his cane and moved to the side once again as the monster swung at him only to sink its blade into the wall instead.

The monster pulled its arm back, freeing the blade, and swung at him again with an angry growl. Tuxedo brought up his cane, using it like a sword, to block the blade and keep the monster distracted from the two scouts in the hallway.

Sailor Moon narrowed her eyes as the fog began to thin further, and shifted on the floor until she was on one knee as she spotted two silhouettes moving ahead of them.

"He's using what looks like a cane to counter the monsters axe arm, and he's shifted so the monsters back is to us." Sailor Mercury said quietly.

"Good." Sailor Moon said as she reached up and pulled off her tiara, and unconsciously charged it until it was a glowing white disk floating above her fingers once again. When the fog cleared enough for her to see the monster clearly she threw her tiara.

"Duck!" She yelled at Tuxedo Mask.

At the sound of his girlfriend's voice Tuxedo Mask pushed against the monster to separate him from it and dropped to the floor and rolled to the side for good measure.

The monster growled and spun around only to scream in pain as the glowing tiara slammed into its chest. The scream continued for nearly a minute before it cut off and the monster began to crumble and turn to dust.

Sailor Moon and Mercury got to their feet and Moon caught her tiara as it returned to her. She placed it back on her forehead just as Tuxedo Mask came walking over to them.

"Are you okay?" She asked him once he got close.

"Yes." He said with a nod. "You two?" He asked as he looked from her to Sailor Mercury and back again.

Sailor Mercury nodded that she was fine as she deactivated her visor.

"We're fine." Sailor Moon assured him, and he nodded.

"We should leave before anyone comes to investigate." Tuxedo Mask said, and she nodded in agreement.

"And before the students wake up." Sailor Moon added.

All three nodded and looked to each other before they split up and left in different directions.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer** **: I do not own Sailor Moon or her characters, and have no right to it except as a long time fan.**

Unexpected Restart  
Chapter Six: Enter the Scout of Mars

A couple of days had passed since Amy had become a scout and Serena and Darien had just left their karate class and were heading to his car. They were in the middle of discussing the last technique they had just learned as they turned a corner, and Serena glanced around and did a double take at what she saw.

Stepping out of a store across the street was a girl with long black hair wearing a blouse and a skirt with leggings carrying a shopping bag.

"That's her!" Serena exclaimed, cutting off what Darien was saying as she pointed to the dark haired girl. "That's Raye."

Darien turned his head and searched with his eyes before they landed on a girl with long black hair walking along the sidewalk. He took a long look at the girl who would possibly have a crush on him as had happened with the other him.

He decided silently in that moment to stay away from her since Serena said the other him hadn't done anything to attract her attention. He wanted their relationship to be firmly settled before Raye set eyes on him.

"Are you going to discover her sooner than you did before?" He asked as he looked to Serena.

"No." She answered instantly. "I have no wish to have her around sooner than need be. Plus, I don't have a reasonable excuse. I suppose I could tell Luna and Amy that I spotted her and saw her planetary symbol and knew she was a scout. That would get them investigating, and she could be officially discovered that way. I don't know." She said with a sigh.

"Actually I _could_ do that, but I still need time." She added after a few moments of thought. "My last memories of Raye are of her thinking the other you, Tuxedo you, was an enemy, and not caring about my obvious grief."

"On top of that I'm going to be hyper aware when Raye meets you, because I have memories of her liking you and her behavior changing toward me at that point. I'm going to need some more time to try and push those memories and those feelings away, and that doesn't even include her behavior toward me as a scout." She explained.

"I understand." Darien said. "I'm not looking to meet her, let alone as your boyfriend, anytime soon, but I think you should try to remember that this Raye hasn't done anything yet and that your attitude toward her this time could set the tone for what will happen with her."

Serena nodded and sighed heavily. "I'll remember that." She said.

 **~~uUuUu~~**

After Amy's debut fight as a scout Serena went over it multiple times, picking apart details and comparing it to Amy's first fight the first time around. Amy had done well, just as she had the first time around, but Serena thought she could be better and that could only happen with practice and training.

That thought led her to decide that they needed to train together. She wanted to improve their teamwork and strengthen their individual powers from what it was the first time around. Not to mention she wanted that practice established before anymore of the girls showed up.

Serena had noticed that her own training had helped in her fighting ability and movements greatly. Her own situation was different since she didn't have those fighting instincts from the past, but she still felt training would help the girls be better scouts.

She wanted them to be better. They hadn't trained much and definitely not regularly last time around, but she recalled from her memories of the past the girls training fairly regularly and they hadn't had monsters to fight then; just a sheltered princess to protect.

So after some thought Serena decided they could train on weekends; sometimes early in the morning or late at night, so there was less chance of being seen and so they could do other things during the day. She also decided the girls should train on their own during the week like she was, so they were in top shape.

 **~~uUu~~**

Amy walked down the sidewalk early Saturday morning on her way to meet Serena for training as they had discussed. She wore shorts with a pair of leggings beneath and a T-shirt with a pullover sweater over it.

As she walked she remembered how Serena had told her about her idea to train a few days ago, the day after her first fight. She had agreed easily, thinking it was a good idea and that it would help her feel more secure about her new abilities and role as a scout.

Today was to be their first time training together, and she was both nervous and excited about it.

After twenty more minutes of walking Amy reached the park they had agreed on meeting at. It was fairly isolated and had seen better days, but was perfect for them since there was no foot traffic, especially that early in the morning. As she moved into the park she easily spotted Serena dressed in a pair of thin sweat pants and a long sleeve shirt with a loose T-shirt over it.

* * *

"Good morning." Amy greeted quietly as she walked over.

"Morning." Serena said.

"Where's Luna?" She asked curiously since she didn't see the black feline.

"I told her not to come since I want the two of us to have time together without her watching and listening to our every word." Serena said seriously. "We need to be able to fight together without Luna's help since she won't always be there. I also want us to bond together. We hang out at school, but we can't really talk about this part of our life."

Amy nodded in understanding and agreement as they began to walk further into the park and away from the visibility of the street. She then asked something that had surprisingly slipped her mind before; which wasn't really surprising with all the revelations.

"So, how did you know I was a scout? Did Luna tell you?" She asked.

"I saw the symbol for Mercury glowing on your forehead." Serena answered. "Luna told me that she could identify the Sailor Scouts by their planetary symbol, but had thought only she could see it. Obviously she was wrong since I could see it as well." She explained.

Amy nodded as she thought over that piece of information. She then decided to ask about Tuxedo Mask's appearance at the fight since she hadn't had the chance to ask about him before.

"Who do you think Tuxedo Mask is, and why is he helping us?" She asked curiously.

"He's been at every fight helping me since the day I became a scout, and he always makes sure I'm okay after the fights before he leaves." Serena answered. She completely ignored the question of who he might be. She was trying to avoid answering those questions in case it came out that she knew him. Then she could say she had never said she didn't know who he was.

"Do you think he might have some kind of connection to the princess like we do?" Amy asked.

"It's possible. It would be something Luna wouldn't know since she hasn't said so yet, and she's already admitted that she doesn't remember everything from the past." Serena said.

Amy hummed thoughtfully as her mind went from wondering who Tuxedo Mask could be and his connection to the princess, them as scouts, and their enemy to wondering if they would recall their past memories.

"How do you feel about your first fight?" Serena asked, interrupting her companion's thoughts.

Amy sighed. "I'd be lying if I said I hadn't been scared. I was completely unprepared for my teacher to attack me, and then to turn into a monster like she did." She answered. "It was also surreal, now that I have some distance from it, but I pushed aside that feeling and started fighting like I'd been doing it all my life." She explained, and Serena nodded.

"I guess that's your past life coming through. It's not a memory, but it's something at least. Perhaps the memories will come soon." She said.

"I hope so. It might help us find the princess faster as well as the other scouts." Amy replied.

"True." Serena said as she nodded.

Once they reached the inner reaches of the park she sat in the grass and gestured for Amy to follow.

"We're going to start with stretching, so we don't hurt ourselves when we really get started." Serena said. Amy nodded and copied Serena as she stretched her legs.

"How did you figure out how to use your bubble defense?" She asked Amy as they stretched, wondering if it was instinctive or if Luna had told her.

"It was instinctive; the words just came to my mind and I didn't hesitate to use them." Amy answered, and Serena nodded thoughtfully. "Was it that way with you and your tiara?" She asked.

"No. Nothing came to me. Luna actually told me, and had irritatingly taken her time at that." Serena answered. "Though my stardust attack was something that I figured out recently during an attack."

"I don't have fighting instincts as far as I can tell, and it's one of the reasons why I started working out and taking the gymnastics and martial arts classes." She added.

"That's strange. We should ask the others when we find them if they have fighting instincts." Amy said.

Serena nodded her agreement though she already knew what they would find. Only she had been lacking since she hadn't been a scout in the past.

"Alright. We're going to start doing exercises." She instructed Amy as they finished stretching. "First we're going to do sit ups and pushups, then jog a few laps before we stretch again. I want you to do as many sit ups and pushups as you can handle. Remember that number and continue doing that many every day until it becomes easy. Then add on to that number."

Amy nodded and the two started working on their exercises.

"Don't try and keep up with me." Serena told Amy as she finished her sit ups and noticed her trying to move faster. "Go at your own pace; there's no hurry. I'm faster because I've been doing these workouts longer. If you try to match me you'll only hurt yourself."

Amy nodded as she continued to do the exercise. She should've known that. She _did_ know that but she was trying not to get left behind. She was trying to keep up so they could do everything together, but she guessed that wasn't possible. At least not with the exercises.

A little over half an hour passed before the two secret scouts finished all of their exercises and now they stood across from each other after stretching again and ready for what was next.

"I want to spar with you before we start working with our powers." Serena said. "You clearly have instincts and instinctive knowledge. Since you're one of the princess' guardians you should have known how to fight physically, and I hope a spar will bring that knowledge out now so you won't have to worry about it happening during an attack and being distracted by whatever reaction you have."

"That makes sense." Amy said with a nod. Still, she was nervous since she had never had to fight before, not even during the fight with that monster.

They started off slow so Amy could get used to the motions then Serena began to speed up.

"Do whatever comes to mind." She told Amy, and she nodded her understanding.

Amy soon found to her surprise that she was blocking and dodging punches and kicks as if it was something she had been doing for years. She stopped thinking as she shifted to one side then another as fists and feet came her way. She ducked and dropped to the ground and rolled out of the way before she could get kicked or stomped on.

Serena paused in her movements and frowned at Amy as she took deep breaths to try and control her breathing. Amy was doing well in blocking and dodging her strikes, but she was forgetting something or deliberately avoiding it.

"You have to start hitting back. We can't go to the next level if you won't return my strikes." She told her.

"It's hard. I can't see myself hitting you, and I don't want to hurt you." Amy said.

"You need to get over that." Serena immediately said in a serious tone. "This training is to help us so there's less chance of us getting hurt or worse during fights with monsters. We can't hesitate with monsters, so we shouldn't hesitate with each other during training."

"If I get it then I get hit. It will teach me what to do differently so it doesn't happen with a monster. You also have to remember I've been working out with my boyfriend and taking fighting classes. I've been hit multiple times since I started, and each time I learn to move or block in a way so it doesn't happen again." She added, and Amy nodded and sighed.

"Okay. I'll focus on that." She said.

"Good. Now hit me like you mean it." Serena said.

Amy took a deep breath and swung at her face and Serena blocked it with her arm.

"Do it again." Serena ordered.

Amy did and they continued like that for half an hour straight with Serena not bothering to return her strikes until she was satisfied that Amy would no longer hesitate to hit her. When she was satisfied she began to hit back and continue their sparing; eventually adding more speed as they punched, kicked, blocked, dodged, and rolled around.

"Stop." Serena called out eventually. "Alright. Start stretching. Once you finish transform."

Serena stretched her legs while she was standing then sat in the grass and stretched them some more before she stretched her arms and her sides in the process. When she finished she stood up and casually pulled her brooch from her subspace pocket.

"Moon Prism Power." She said calmly. Instantly pink light surrounded her, blocking her from view, before it disappeared to reveal her as Sailor Moon.

Amy stretched her arms and legs and bent over to touch the ground as she shifted to stretch her sides as well since she was very much uninterested in getting a cramp unexpectedly. She then straightened and took out her transformation pen from her subspace pocket.

"Mercury Power." She said. Blue light surrounded her, tossing her hair around and ruffling her clothes, before it cleared leaving her as Sailor Mercury.

Serena nodded as Amy finished transforming.

"First I want you to practice launching your bubble attack, or rather defense, without saying its name. That way our enemy won't know what's coming and can't try to counter it. I did the same with my tiara if you noticed during the fight with that monster at your cram school." She explained, and Amy nodded.

"I did notice, and I think it makes perfect sense." She said.

"You can start out by saying it, but hopefully before we're done today you won't need to anymore." Serena said, and Amy nodded once again then focused.

"Mercury Bubbles Blast." She said. Blue clear bubbles streamed from her hand instantly turning into a cold fog that spread around the area.

Serena looked around at the fog before returning her eyes to Amy.

"Perhaps you should work on trying to lift your fog in case it's needed like in the hallway with the monster." She suggested, and Amy nodded.

"Are you going to work on anything?" She asked.

"Yes. I'm going to try to work on controlling my tiara's movements in case I need to redirect it after I've thrown it." Serena answered.

"Ah. Good luck." Amy said, and Serena smiled.

"Good luck to you too. I have confidence that we'll both accomplish our tasks." She replied.

Amy smiled and nodded before she focused back on the surrounding fog. She would start on trying to lift the fog, but now she had to figure out what to do. She could try focusing on the feel of it, and remembering that it wasn't a natural fog. It was hers and she should have _some_ kind of control over it.

So she closed her eyes and focused on the cool moist feel of her fog. She imagined that the feel of it was slowly going away, and that the fog was gradually lessening. She opened her eyes and blinked in surprise to see that all the fog was gone. She wasn't completely convinced that she had done it so she decided to try again.

"Mercury Bubbles Blast." She whispered her defense, since it really was a defense instead of an attack, since it was better than shouting it, and a step toward not voicing it at all.

The bubbles streamed from her hands and shifted into a fog that quickly spread around the area. This time she kept her eyes open as she focused on the feel of her fog, and concentrated on wanting it to lessen and dissipate until it was gone.

Right before her eyes the fog thinned until it disappeared altogether. She smiled and continued to practice deploying her defense without speaking its name, and lifting the fog until it was gone. She decided that when she felt confident enough with doing those things she would see if she could make the fog thicker.

Serena moved away from Amy and took her tiara off and charged it up. She knew if she wanted it strongly enough she could stop her tiara since she had done so when Molly had moved in its path to protect Neflite. So she figured if she practiced she could make it go where she wanted mid-flight and do what she wanted.

She stared at her tiara as she felt the warmth of her power above her fingertips. She looked around and saw that the fog wasn't very thick and she could still see the trees around them, so she took a breath and threw her tiara at a tree.

Once it was flying through the air she focused on the weapon and wanting it to move to the left away from the tree she was aiming for. The spinning tiara veered off to the left and she willed it to move upward toward the sky, smiling lightly as it moved upward as she had imagined, and willed it to come back down and return to her.

She watched it do as she wanted and begin to head toward her. She caught it and focused briefly to keep it charged before she launched it once again at the tree she had aimed at before.

This time she willed it to move to the right of the tree and upward. It did so and she narrowed her eyes, partly in concentration and partly because of Amy's fog covering the area again, before she willed it to circle the tree then return to her.

Once it had she caught it and let her power fade from it as she tried to think of another way to manipulate it during its travel. Almost immediately she shook her head at herself as she realized she hadn't practiced the action that had started her on that path: stopping her tiara. After all she had only done it that once to prevent Molly from being hurt.

Serena charged up her tiara yet again and threw it directly at the tree she had been targeting before. It was at a considerable distance, so she felt confident that the distance was enough to give her time to stop it.

She focused on the feeling of her tiara, and realized she could feel the connection to her tiara. Her eyes brightened at the discovery, and she silently commanded her weapon to stop. She watched as it stopped abruptly just a few feet from the tree trunk.

She nodded and silently called it back to her, and watched as it came speeding back before it slowed to a stop directly in front of her. As she plucked it out of the air and placed it back on her forehead she was confident that she would be able to completely control her tiara now that she could feel her connection to it.

She turned and looked back to check on Amy, and as she watched the fog come and become denser she realized she was practicing on making her fog thicker. She also noticed that every time Amy made her fog reappear she wasn't saying the words.

That made her smile. It looked like they had both accomplished the tasks that had been set for the day.

Serena looked up at the sky. They hadn't been there very long, so they had time to do more. It was time to introduce Amy to what they could physically do as scouts. It was definitely going to be fun running at top speed and jumping heights.

 **~~uUu~~**

When the morning faded away to afternoon Amy and Serena finished their training and split up to head home. They showered and changed clothes before meeting up with Molly at the public library in their general neighborhood to study and hangout as they had agreed on at school the day before.

They settled in at a four seat table behind a row of stacks and spread their books out before they began to study the subjects that were giving them the most trouble.

Half an hour into their studying they began to notice that every time someone came by their table or near the stacks they were seated behind they were rushing, practically running. Minutes after that they started to hear people getting loud and yelling.

They looked at each other in confusion. They had seen people rushing while on their way to the library as well, and were surprised and wondering what was going on then.

"I'll go check it out, and see what's going on." Serena said. Molly and Amy nodded and she got up and began to walk down the aisle toward the noise.

She stopped and stood next to the end of a row of books in the fiction section and watched two pairs of people arguing with each other, and another person off to the side looked like they were about to join in.

She just didn't understand. From what she was hearing they weren't arguing about anything crucial. In fact, they were arguing about simple things like not moving out of their way quick enough as they were passing by, and looking at the same book they wanted.

She just couldn't understand what was wrong with them, and from the sounds coming through the open windows others as well.

Serena watched one lady gesture sharply at her watch, and understanding washed over her as she realized what was happening. It was another plot by the Negaverse. She remembered fighting a monster that could affect time, and guessed that particular event had finally come. She watched for a few more minutes before she turned and began to return to her friends.

"We should take our studies elsewhere since it's already getting louder." She suggested after she explained what she had seen and heard.

Molly and Amy agreed and they all packed up their things, and made their way outside where they found the same behavior seemingly everywhere they looked.

They eventually found a quiet area in a park and settled in at the cleanest picnic table they could find, and began to continue their studies with only a little conversation about the bizarre behavior they had seen on their way there.

When they finished studying they packed up and began to head home. They took the route that would take them to the home that was closest and dropped Amy off, and continued on until Serena was alone and walking through her neighborhood to her house.

"Hi mom." Serena greeted when she got there before heading up to her bedroom. "Hi Luna." She greeted as she spotted her lying on her bed, and closed the door.

"Hello." Luna replied as Serena moved toward her floor desk. She sat with a sigh and began to organize the notes she had taken by subject. Just as she was about to continue studying there was a knock on her door.

"Yes?" Serena called and watched her mom come in.

"I have a gift for you. I bought it today." Her mother said as she handed her a wrapped package.

Serena accepted it and opened it up to find a black clock that looked like Luna. It was cute, just as it had been last time, but this time she knew what the clock would do if it was left around her.

"Thanks mom." She said with a smile, hiding her dismay.

"You're welcome dear." Her mother said before she turned and stepped toward the door.

As her mom left her room she placed the clock on her bed and returned to her desk as she tried to think of a way to get rid of it without her mom or Luna knowing that was what she was doing. She wouldn't be able to explain to either of them why she wanted to get rid of it, and she knew if it stayed in the room with her it would affect her, and that was the last thing she needed.

Serena lost herself in studying for over an hour when she decided to take a break. She checked the time and decided to call Darien since he should be home.

As she was heading for her door she glanced to her balcony and thought she would put the clock out there at some point before she went to sleep.

 _And while Luna's out of the room. That should keep it from affecting me_. She thought with a slight nod.

 **~~uUuUu~~**

Monday morning arrived and as Serena was on her way to school she noticed that the frantic behavior she had seen during the weekend was still happening, and there was even more people rushing around and being angry at the pace everything was going at.

She'd opted to walk to school instead of taking the bus as she'd been considering. She'd decided against the bus ride as she recalled that a bus had crashed at some point that day because of the rushed behavior of the driver. She had even come across a crashed bus on her way to school, though she wasn't sure it was the one that had crashed last time around, and was glad she'd skipped it.

Once she arrived at school she saw that some of her classmates were frantic in their wishes that everything hurry up. She recalled behaving the same way last time. She'd wished that everything was on fast forward regardless of what was happening. It was a major disruption in class, but somehow their teacher managed to get through it.

When lunch time came around Serena and her friends made their way to a section of the courtyard and began to chat about what was happening and the cause as they ate their lunch. She and Amy quietly talked about the same topic but their conversation took a different more serious direction.

Amy subtly took out her minicomputer and began to search the internet for anything new and unusual in the city. What she learned was that there was a new clock store that had opened up during the weekend.

"I want to check this place out, but I'll have to do it after my classes and I'm not sure if the store will be open." Serena said, and she really did want to check out the place, just like she and Darien had done with the pet shop, despite already knowing what she would find.

"I can go check it out after school." Amy said, and Serena hummed thoughtfully.

"Is there any information on when the store closes?" She asked.

Amy looked up the information and they found out that it would still be open when Serena's last class let out.

"We should both go." Serena said firmly. "You go after school and I'll go after my classes, and I'll contact you afterward and we can compare notes."

"Alright." Amy said with a nod. She then put her computer away and they continued to eat their lunch and focus on their group of friends.

* * *

After their Taekwondo class let out Serena and Darien changed into their workout clothes and he drove them to the new clock store to check it out as they had agreed on when Serena had told him about the place and what had happened with it last time around during their earlier workout.

They walked into the store and saw that there were clocks of varying types and sizes everywhere, and a surprising number of people there considering that the store would be closing soon.

There were tall grandfather clocks, wall clocks, desk clocks, digital clocks, wrist watches, pocket watches, manual clocks, clocks with numbers, clocks with Roman numerals, clocks with lines and dots where numbers would be, and clocks with various types of pictures. They even had sundials and hourglasses.

"It all seems normal." Darien commented quietly, and Serena nodded.

"Yes it does, but I recognize the shop owner." She said quietly. "The woman in the skimpy red dress. She's the monster."

Darien looked around and spotted said woman. He took in the red skimpy dress, simple jewelry, styled brown hair, and green eyes. He wouldn't have thought her a monster, but the look in her eyes gave her away. It was just like the others.

"I see her." He said as he looked away from the disguised monster. "We should deal with the monster tonight instead of coming back tomorrow." He added as he looked around.

"Alright." Serena agreed. "It'll have to be late since we'll have to wait for the store to close, and I'll have to wait until my parents go to sleep."

Darien nodded in understanding. If she didn't wait she would have to explain to her parents where she had been if the fight ran a long time. They left the store after that and returned to the car.

"You'll have to be close when Amy and I enter the store, because last time when we went through the opening I made it closed up right behind us." Serena said as he drove toward her home. "Luna was with us that time, and she wasn't able to go inside with us. That's how quick it happened."

"Alright." He said as he nodded. "I have no problem coming an hour or two early to wait for you to show up."

"Thank you." She said before she told him the usual time her family ate dinner and when her parents went to bed. "I can call you before I leave, so you won't have to wait around." She offered, but he shook his head.

"It'll be better if I wait. That way you won't be over heard telling me something on the phone by your cat, and I can be at the location to see if the monster does anything." Darien replied.

"Okay." Serena said, and then began to remind him of the monsters abilities so he would be ready.

* * *

Later that night Serena left her house through her balcony window and transformed into Sailor Moon after she left the neighborhood.

After she had made it home she had gone to her room, where Luna was, and contacted Amy with her communicator and compared notes with her about the clock store. They both thought the store looked normal and saw nothing out of the ordinary.

 _"However, I scanned the massive grandfather clock and saw that it was full of energy, and more entered it as the seconds passed." Amy said._

 _"It_ _'s clearly the energy from everyone running around frantically." Serena said._

 _"Yes. All the people who bought clocks." Amy said._

 _"We should deal with the monster tonight." Serena said. "I don't think there's any need to wait. The more energy that's gathered the more this enemy has for whatever their purpose is."_

Amy had agreed and after a bit of discussion they agreed on a time, and now here she was on her way to meet her at the clock shop. It was late so there would be less traffic of both cars and people in the area, and therefore less damage done.

Sailor Moon ran along sidewalks and through streets before she made her way to a roof and began to leap rooftops the further into the downtown area she came. She paused every now and then to look down at the streets and storefronts to make sure she was in the right area and going in the right direction.

Finally she landed on the rooftop of the clock store and moved toward the edge as she looked around. There was no one on any of the roofs. No Sailor Mercury and no Tuxedo Mask, and when she looked down to the storefront there was no one there either.

She hummed and wondered if she was early. She knew Tuxedo Mask should have been there already.

She moved over to the side of the roof and looked down the left side of the building, and saw Tuxedo Mask there leaning against a wall almost halfway into the alley. He looked up suddenly and gave her a thumbs up, and she smiled and returned the gesture before she moved away and continued to look around to see if she could spot Sailor Mercury coming.

Within a few minutes she saw the water scout leaping rooftops headed directly for her.

"Have you been here long?" Sailor Mercury asked when she reached her.

"Only a few minutes, and all has been quiet." Sailor Moon said before she moved to the edge of the building and jumped off and landed on the sidewalk in front of the store.

"How are we supposed to get inside?" Sailor Mercury asked after she joined her and looked at the metal fence covering the entrance way.

"I'll get us through." Sailor Moon said as she stepped back.

She took off her tiara and charged it up. Once it was a glowing disk she threw it at the fence and blasted a hole in it. As her tiara returned to her the smoke cleared and she saw that the hole she wanted was there, and the interior was pitch black.

"There's our entrance, and from the looks of it the monster is waiting for us." She said, and Mercury nodded.

"Either that or this is what happens every time the store closes." She added, and Sailor Moon nodded.

"Let's go." She said.

They began to move forward and she glanced to her side to see Tuxedo Mask at the edge of the building and moving out of the alley. Sailor Mercury stepped through the opening and she quickly waved for him to come, and she stepped in. She turned and looked back and held her breath as the hole began to shrink.

Thankfully Tuxedo Mask dived in before it closed up.

Sailor Moon breathed a quiet sigh of relief and turned back forward and moved to stand next to Mercury as she activated her visor.

"We're in the store, but with there being no windows it's dark." Sailor Mercury informed her fellow scout. "I imagine the monster is somehow augmenting it as well."

"Alright. Lead the way." Sailor Moon said seriously.

Mercury began to do just that, leading them around display cases and counters, until she stopped suddenly.

"We have company." She revealed quietly.

"The three of you should not be here." A female voice said, and suddenly the lights came on, nearly blinding them but allowed them to see the owner of the voice, which turned out to be the owner of the store.

Sailor Mercury blinked and looked around, confused at the woman's words, and did a double take when she saw Tuxedo Mask standing behind them.

"He does that." Sailor Moon said as a way to explain his quiet appearance as she briefly looked at him as well.

Suddenly the female's form began to ripple, changing her from the brown haired normal looking woman in a red dress to a pale skinned woman with long purple hair trailing down her back, red lines trailing over her eyes and down her cheeks, and a black five point star on her right cheek.

The monster silently raised her hand and numerous clocks around the store lifted into the air and flew toward the three fighters. She smirked in satisfaction before she opened a portal and disappeared inside.

The fighters ducked, dodged, and painfully deflected the clocks with their arms and hands to prevent themselves from being hit in the head.

Sailor Moon grimaced as she swung her arm at the last clock headed for her and felt it collide painfully with her wrist. As she rubbed her wrist she looked over toward the portal in the massive grandfather clock, which she knew was a time warp, and blinked in surprise as she saw Mercury running toward it.

"Don't go in there!" She called out urgently, but she was already going through.

She looked between where Mercury had disappeared and Tuxedo who was still fending off clocks coming at him. She didn't want to be separated from him, but she couldn't leave Mercury on her own.

"Go! I'll be fine." Tuxedo Mask called.

Sailor Moon nodded and went after Mercury, remembering what happened last time, and realizing it was probably a good thing that he was going to be staying out of the time warp.

Once she went through the time warp the portal opening closed behind her. She sighed gustily and looked around at the strange green and black swirls and large round clock face images. It was confusing and disorienting if she tried to focus.

Last time around she hadn't noticed because she had been affected by the clock. She had been impatient to get rid of the monster, and frustrated that it was taking so long to happen. She closed her eyes briefly and shook her head before she walked toward Mercury.

"The portal closed behind me, and Tuxedo Mask wasn't able to follow because the clocks were still attacking him." She told her in a calm serious tone.

"I'm sorry for running off like that. I wasn't thinking; I just wanted to make sure the monster didn't get away." Sailor Mercury apologized. "It probably wasn't a good idea that we were separated."

"It's okay. It's probably a good idea he's out there in case we can't get out on our own. Then he'll hopefully be able to help." Sailor Moon replied.

Sailor Mercury nodded silently and they began to cautiously walk through the space as their eyes looked all around them in the hopes of spotting the monster.

A few feet in front of them a portal opened up showing a completely different background. One that was a continuous swirl of black, blue, white, and red. They looked at each other and nodded before they stepped toward it. The monster wasn't in sight and they couldn't go back, so they had no choice but to continue forward.

As soon as Sailor Moon stepped through the portal she began to feel strange. She looked over to Mercury and saw that she was getting taller, and then she gasped as she realized abruptly that Mercury wasn't getting taller _she_ was shrinking.

Sailor Mercury glanced to Sailor Moon at her gasp, and her eyes widened.

"Sailor Moon!" She called out.

Right before her eyes her friend and fellow scout was shrinking and she realized that she was actually turning into a child. She breathed quickly as she tried to hold back her panic, especially when Moon started making gibbering childish sounds.

 _This can't be happening. I shouldn't have rushed after the monster like I did. First the portal closes up behind us, and now Sailor Moon's been turned into a child. What was I thinking following that monster?!_ She thought frantically.

Foolishly she hadn't been thinking, which was highly unusual for her. She was beginning to think her first successful fight as a scout had gone to her head. Never again would she act this way. She would always consult her fellow scouts before going after an enemy.

Sailor Mercury grabbed Sailor Moon's hand and then began to cautiously walk forward, moving slower so the child version of her friend could keep up, and looked around trying to see the monster.

She sighed heavily and nearly hit herself as she activated her visor. She couldn't believe she hadn't done it when she first entered the portal. After this fight she was going to have to train harder and make it a habit to activate her visor and pull out her minicomputer.

She looked around again, as her visor analyzed the area, and gasped as she spotted the monster standing a few yards behind her holding a staff that looked like the long hand on a clock. She turned around and pulled Sailor Moon to stand behind her before she released her small hand.

"I wondered when you would finally notice me." The monster said with a smirk before she brought up her hand and a flash of light shot toward them.

Sailor Mercury made sure she was standing in front of Sailor Moon and brought her arms up to shield her face from the light since she didn't know what it would do. When the light faded she lowered her arms and looked around cautiously and frowned when she realized nothing happened, but then she started to feel stiff and suddenly she couldn't move.

The monster laughed evilly.

"How do you like being frozen in time?" The monster asked as she laughed again. "Now I'll have no problems getting rid of you, and I'll start with the child."

She looked toward the child scout and frowned as she began to walk forward and held her staff in front of her. She was the more threatening of the two, and she was glad she had been able to turn her into a child.

Sailor Moon stepped out from behind Sailor Mercury and silently looked up to her still form before she looked to the strange woman walking toward her. Her face shifted into a scared frown before she looked back to Mercury and then back to the woman. Her eyes teared up and she cried, the sound coming out louder and louder in her fear.

Tuxedo Mask huffed as he finished knocking down all the clocks. He looked around tiredly to make sure no more were coming at him since they hurt when they hit. He then moved toward the massive grandfather clock and wondered how the scouts were doing.

Just then he heard a child's cry and his eyes widened. Even though it was a child's voice he recognized the sound as belonging to his girlfriend, and instantly remembered her telling him about how she was turned into a child the first time she had faced that monster.

He frowned as he stared at the large clock. She hadn't known what his other self had done, but she knew whatever it was it had taken away the monsters powers. He didn't see any way into the clock, which meant there was no way out of the clock. There was also no sign of the portal that the monster had opened up.

 _I have to damage the clock_. He decided as he narrowed his eyes. There was something not right about it, and he had no doubt it had something to do with the way people had been acting since the store appeared.

He pulled out a hand full of roses and launched them all at once at the clock face. The glass cracked as they hit and then a series of explosions sounded, and he watched as the large clock began to crumble.

"No!" He heard an angry feminine scream, and as the smoke cleared he saw three figures. The monster, Sailor Mercury, and the child form of Sailor Moon which slowly began to grow taller.

Sailor Moon blinked rapidly, disoriented as she held her arms out at her sides, feeling like she was going to fall over as her center of balance changed rapidly. As soon as her eyes landed on the monster she remembered where she was and quickly pulled off her tiara. She charged it up and threw it at the female without a word.

The glowing disk slammed into the monsters chest, and she screamed loud and long before the sound stopped and her body began to crumble and turn to dust.

Sailor Moon knelt down on the ground as she continued to adjust to her returned height. As she caught her tiara she watched as the building and clocks around them began to disappear, eventually leaving the fighters in an empty lot.

"Are you two okay?" Tuxedo Mask asked as he moved toward the scouts, and watched Sailor Moon put her tiara back on. Sailor Mercury nodded silently in response.

"I'm fine." Sailor Moon said as she accepted his help in getting back to her feet. "Are you okay?" She asked.

"I'm okay. A bit bruised, but I'll live." He assured her. "Are you _sure_ you're fine? I saw your tiny form before you grew bigger."

"I _am_ fine." She reassured him. "I just feel like my balance is off from going quickly from a small form to my normal form."

 _I need to focus on doing spins and flips in my gymnastics class, so I'll be able to recover quickly when I'm disoriented and my balance has been effected_. She decided.

"Then you shouldn't do any jumping around until you feel stable." Tuxedo Mask said with a frown, and she nodded.

"We still need to leave the area. I'll be careful, but I don't want us to be seen since someone is bound to notice the building is suddenly missing." Sailor Moon said.

Sailor Mercury and Tuxedo Mask nodded and they all left; Sailor Moon being careful and resting when she felt she needed to.

 **~~uUuUu~~**

Darien walked out of his closet after changing into a pair of sweats and a T-shirt, and climbed onto his bed before he moved to sit in the middle. He had only been home a few minutes after coming from dropping Serena off at home after their martial arts classes had ended.

Remembering his past had given him much aside from the revelation of who he really was. It had given him information, which included the knowledge that he had a golden crystal. A crystal that was of equal power to his princess' silver crystal; it just wasn't well known.

The martial arts classes had given him the idea to try meditation to gain access to it since his memories had also provided the knowledge that it was inside him.

He wanted it so he could be stronger and the best he could be to better protect Serena, _and_ he had a vague idea forming that he hoped his crystal could help with if he decided to flesh it out and go through with it.

So he crossed his legs with his back straight, relaxed his body, and rested his hands on his knees as he closed his eyes.

Darien focused all his thoughts on his golden crystal and wanting to access it as he breathed deeply and slowly in his quiet room. Minutes passed, half an hour, and nearly an hour before he found what he was looking for.

In his mind the image of a golden crystal, dim, and locked up appeared, and he was abruptly aware that it was sealed inside him not just there waiting for him to use. He focused his thoughts and entire being on freeing it.

He thought about how he wanted it, needed it, to be stronger so he could better protect Serena. He wanted it to feel more complete since he remembered the feel of its power constantly flowing through his body.

 _Come, come, come_. He chanted slowly, and soon felt an intense warmth start in his chest and spread outward toward the rest of his body. There was an echoing pulse and within moments he was feeling a rush of warm, almost hot, power spreading through his body.

He opened his eyes and willed his crystal to come to him as he lifted his hand. And just like that a brilliantly glowing gold crystal appeared, hovering, above the palm of his hand. He couldn't help smiling at the sight.

"It's good to see you again." He said softly, and in response the crystal pulsed and twinkled at him.

 **~~uUuUu~~**

A few weeks had passed since Amy became Sailor Mercury and things were going well as far as Serena was concerned. She and Amy were working well together as scouts and had become closer as friends.

Aside from that Amy was becoming friends with her group of friends, which was good as far as Serena was concerned. This meant it would be less likely that Amy and Luna would try and say she couldn't be friends with Molly.

Luna was spending her time between her and Amy, especially when she was at her after school classes and spending time with Darien. That wasn't something Serena minded since it kept Luna out of her business, and from questioning her about the time she was spending with Darien.

To Serena it was almost like Luna thought she shouldn't have a life outside of school and being a scout. Maybe she thought it would interfere in her protecting the princess when she was found. As if she wouldn't have time for a boyfriend or would choose to spend time with her boyfriend over protecting the princess.

Serena, _being_ the princess the scouts were supposed to be looking for, obviously didn't have to worry about that, but she didn't think that would be a problem with the girls.

She had no doubt that they would protect her when it was needed, but they could still have lives. This wasn't the past where she was helpless and sheltered, and they needed to be with her all the time as a result. She certainly wouldn't demand that type of protection; would in fact be displeased if they tried. She needed her space and privacy.

That thought reminded her of one of the reasons why she needed space and privacy. Her boyfriend, her prince, Darien.

They had been doing well over the pass weeks as well. They had become closer with all the time they spent training together, but they also made time for fun.

They went on dates sometimes after school, skipping their training for the day, and sometimes after their classes. Much to Serena's pleasure they had even shared a few kisses, but not as many as she would have liked at this point. It was as if they weren't completely comfortable and were holding back for some reason.

She was concerned it was because she was still grieving and missing the Darien she had left behind, and promised herself to work harder to focus on the Darien that was with her. He was still Darien, still her prince, still her Endymion and she shouldn't be feeling sad anymore.

With things going so well she finally turned her focus to Raye. Amy had been a scout for a few weeks now and she thought it was time to bring Raye into the picture.

She wanted Raye to become Mars before the buses began to go missing, so she could have time to adjust just as Amy had. She also wanted Raye to be a scout so they could take care of that situation quickly.

She just could not figure out an excuse to go to the temple without causing suspicion, so she could see the symbol on Raye's forehead and alert Amy and Luna.

On Friday during a break in class she, Molly, and Amy were talking about hanging out the next day and trying to decide on what to do.

"How about window shopping?" Serena suggested.

"Or going to a movie?" Amy suggested as well.

"What about going to the Cherry Hill Temple to get amulets?" Molly added. "You can get a good luck amulet to make sure things keep going well between you and Darien." She said to Serena.

Serena hid her surprise and thought it must be fate working in her favor since she had been trying to figure out how to get to the temple without it being obvious.

"We can do all three of those things." She said. "We can start with the movie, do some window shopping since the theater is in the same area, and end our day at the temple."

Amy and Molly agreed, and they all decided to meet outside the movie theater at noon.

* * *

Late Saturday afternoon a trio of girls got off a bus in a quiet neighborhood holding a bag each. Serena, Molly, and Amy had watched a movie and had something to eat while they window shopped. They had even managed to find something they wanted that didn't cost much, and now they had finally arrived at the Cherry Hill Temple.

They walked down the sidewalk, chatting about the things they had seen in the numerous stores they had looked in, before they began to walk up the long set of stairs leading up to the temple.

When they reached the top they saw people scattered everywhere and were surprised at how many visitors were there. Although, they shouldn't be since it was a nice sunny day out.

They walked forward casually, looking at the various people and the beautiful surroundings, as they made their way toward the building that sold amulets. Molly leading the way since she had been there before.

As they walked Serena blinked and hid her surprise as she spotted Jedite off to the side near some trees sweeping up fallen leaves. At a short distance from him was a group of girls giggling and staring at him.

 _At least his presence lets me know that this is the right time. Buses will start to go missing soon if they haven't already_. She thought as she looked away.

The girls reached the building and Serena was slightly surprised to find that Raye was the one doing the selling. They got in line behind a number of people, and she took the time to look at Raye while she was busy.

She instantly spotted the Mars symbol glowing on her forehead and she nodded to herself. Raye was obviously Sailor Mars; there had been no doubt about that, but she had to see the symbol if Raye was going be revealed before she had been last time because Luna would need to see it as well to confirm.

Serena looked away with a sigh as she recalled Darien's words about Raye not having done anything yet, and she thought he was right. _Knew_ he was right. This was her chance to change things with Raye, so that she _didn't_ treat her the way she had before.

She had made a good start with Amy and thought she could do the same with Raye if she could just push pass her negative feelings and the memories she had.

She had Darien so there would be no real or imagined competition there, and she was different then she had been before so Raye's complaints about her wouldn't come up. With those things aside there was nothing that could get in the way of their friendship, and Raye had been a good friend before she started liking Darien and focusing on her faults.

She looked back to Raye and nodded to herself. She would befriend her, and their friendship would be better this time. She was determined to have a good relationship with each of her scouts.

When it was their turn they all greeted the priestess with a smile and bought good luck amulets. Serena's, according to Molly, was to make sure all continued to go well between her and her boyfriend. Molly's was to help her find her own boyfriend, and Amy's was to help her continue to do well in her studies.

They thanked the priestess for her help before moving out of the way of the other patrons as they compared their amulets to each other's. They then left the temple and went to Molly's home, and hung out there for a couple of hours before Serena and Amy left.

"Is your mother home?" Serena asked Amy as they walked down the street.

"She likely isn't since she usually works long hours at the hospital." She replied.

"Then let's go to your place. I need to tell you and Luna something." Serena said before she subtly pulled out her communicator and contacted Luna.

 **~~uUu~~**

By the time they made it to Amy's apartment building Luna was there waiting for them. Amy picked her up and they went inside and up to her apartment. Once Amy made sure her mother wasn't home they settled in the living room.

"The priestess at the temple that sold us the amulets has the symbol of Mars glowing on her forehead." Serena said, and Amy blinked in surprised.

"Really?!" She said, and Serena nodded.

"It was very clear." She said.

"What can you tell me about this girl?" Luna asked the girls.

"She has long black hair down her back, purple eyes, she's maybe around Amy's height, and considering what she was doing she wore white and red priestess robes." Serena supplied.

"She looked very serious maybe stoic, and yet she was soft spoken." Amy added, and Luna nodded.

"Okay. Alright, so another scout has been found." Luna said, this time believing Serena without having to check for herself.

"I want to get the priestess into the group as soon as possible. Now that we're aware of her there's no reason to wait." Serena said. "We can either do it today or tomorrow, so we won't have to worry about figuring out when to do it during the school week."

"So no befriending her before telling her?" Amy asked.

"No. It would be different if we went to school together like you and I did, but the priestess obviously goes to a different school." Serena said. "It's possible to meet her this weekend, but because of our schedules we likely wouldn't be able to do more until next weekend and I don't want to wait." She explained and Amy nodded.

"Well, I'll go get a look at her today, and see if I can find out anything else." Luna said.

"Then we'll go do it tomorrow. It will have to be around this time or a little later, so we won't have to wait long for visiting hours to be done. And also so we'll be free to speak to the girl for a longer amount of time." Serena said.

Luna and Amy nodded, and the small group began to go into detail about the exact time they would go to the temple and how they would approach the girl and what to say.

Once they finished Serena and Luna left; Luna heading for the temple and Serena for home so she could call Darien and inform him of what was going to happen.

 **~~uUuUu~~**

Raye Hino sighed as she finished organizing the amulets and then closed up the little building. The sun was setting and the last people wishing to buy an amulet had just left.

She looked around and saw that all the leaves had been swept up which meant the new guy had finished his duties and left for the day. The guy was good at his job, even polite and friendly, but he gave her a bad feeling that she just couldn't explain.

 _Perhaps I should meditate on it in front of the great fire, and see if I can figure out exactly what this bad feeling is_. She thought as she sighed again, and began to walk, checking buildings and making sure there were no more people who wished to make purchases or needed spiritual aid.

As she came around a building and into the main courtyard she paused as she spotted a girl. She immediately recognized her from a visit the day before since her long golden hair and unique hair style stood out in her mind.

She was wearing a white quarter sleeve wrap top, white leggings that ended just above her ankles, and an ocean blue skirt just pass her knees with white strap sandals. A black cat was walking with her, and Raye wondered if it was a stray or actually the girl's pet cat.

She shrugged internally and was about to continue on when another girl with short blue hair came walking toward the girl and her cat. She wore a yellow and white tank top blouse under a blue open cardigan sweater, a long blue skirt with yellow flowers down to her ankles, and brown sandals.

She blinked as the two girls began to talk, and realized both girls had been together the day before.

 _Why are they here?_ Raye wondered since the temple grounds were practically deserted as far as she had been able to tell during her walk. They didn't appear to be looking for anything.

 _Maybe they're just using the temple grounds as a place to meet up before they leave for wherever they want to go_. She considered.

However, that thought drifted away and confusion replaced it as she realized they were walking toward her.

* * *

As they walked toward Raye Serena recalled what Luna had told her of what she learned about Raye. The fact that the black haired girl was always alone, and that Luna had heard girls her age gossiping about how she was a loner and was always with the birds on the temple grounds rather than with people. They thought she was creepy and weird, and only came to the temple for the amulets otherwise they would stay away.

Serena thought that sounded right. It was just like the first time around. Raye didn't have any friends and it appeared no one wanted to try being close to her.

 _Well, we_ _'ll change that. She'll become one of us, and we'll be her friends_. She thought firmly.

 _Maybe they want more amulets_. Raye thought as she watched them. "I'm sorry, but the shop is closed for the day." She said when they were close enough.

"We're not here for amulets this time." Serena said quietly. "Actually I wonder if we can speak to you in private?" She asked, and watched her frown.

"Okay." Raye hesitantly agreed since the girl was so friendly. Plus, they were on her home grounds, and she knew it well in case anything happened. "Follow me." She said and began to lead them behind a building that Serena knew was where Raye and her grandfather lived.

They all sat on the long open porch and faced each other.

"I'm Serena Tsukino." Serena said, deciding to start with introductions. "And this is Amy Anderson." She added as she gestured to Amy who waved slightly.

"I'm Raye Hino." Raye said.

"I don't know if you remember us from yesterday, but I noticed something about you instantly and we decided to come back today and speak to you rather than wait." Serena said.

Raye frowned in confusion as she wondered where this conversation was going. Two girls coming up to her wanting to talk in private was very strange, and she didn't even know what they wanted.

"I'm sure you've heard of the Sailor Scouts going around the city fighting." Serena continued, and watched Raye nod. "Well two of them are me and Amy." She stated and Raye blinked.

"What?" She said in surprise, and Serena nodded.

"I'm Sailor Moon and Amy is Sailor Mercury. We haven't come across Sailor V, but I have no doubt that we will in the future." She explained calmly. "Now what I noticed about you yesterday is that you are also a scout like us."

Raye's eyes widened at the unexpected turn of this conversation. It was unbelievable, and she was instantly skeptical.

"Yeah right!" She said disbelievingly as she stood up abruptly. "I can't believe you're wasting my time like this!"

"We can prove it but not here. We need a place where we can't be seen." Serena replied calmly.

Raye, though very disbelieving, decided to lead them into the forest behind the house, and when they were far enough where they wouldn't be seen she turned and looked at them expectant and disbelieving.

Serena looked to Amy before she gestured in the air with her hand and watched as her brooch dropped into her hand. Amy did the same and her transformation pen fell into her hand.

"Moon Prism Power!" She said firmly as she held her brooch up, and was instantly covered in a warm pink light.

"Mercury Power!" Amy said as she held up her pen, and was engulfed in a cool blue light.

Raye squinted at the bright lights so close to her, and when the lights cleared she saw that the girls were now sailor scouts.

She had heard of the Sailor Scouts but the only one she had seen was Sailor V, and that was only in the occasional picture or poster. She hadn't actually seen the two new ones that had cropped up, and had barely listened to anything she heard about them.

Now that she was seeing them she realized they looked older then the girls that had been talking to her. They had looked her age, but now they looked as if they were closer to their twenties or already in them.

And there was this sense of power to them that practically demanded respect. Even the way they held themselves looked different, as if they were ready for anything, adding silently to the demand for respect.

"Okay." Raye said as she nodded. "It's true. You're clearly sailor scouts. After all, those transformations couldn't be faked. Though it doesn't explain how I'm supposed to be a scout, so how do you know I'm a scout?" She asked Serena as she looked to the Moon scout.

"I can see the symbol glowing on your forehead." Serena said.

"The symbol?" Raye questioned with a slight frown.

"The symbol for Mars." Serena replied. "It's glowing clearly and brightly. You are one of us."

Raye blinked wide eyed and Serena looked down to Luna and lifted an eyebrow.

Luna leapt up and flipped in the air and in a slight flash of light a pen appeared. Serena snatched it out of the air before it could fall to the ground and held it out to Raye.

"Will you join us? Be a part of the team? Help us find the others like us, protect the city from monsters, and find the Moon Princess?" She asked the raven haired girl.

"Moon Princess." Raye said as she stared at the object in Serena's hand.

"Yes. In the past she was heir to the throne of the Moon, and the Sailor Scouts were her guardians. We've all been reincarnated, and now it's our duty to find and protect her. Preferably before our enemy does." Serena explained, and Raye calmly reached out and grasped the red object.

"Why is this princess in danger?" She asked.

"Because she is the wielder and holder of the imperial silver crystal." Amy spoke up. "If the enemy finds her first they can force her to use the crystal for them or simply kill her outright so she can't use the power of the crystal against them."

Raye nodded slowly and got a good look at the object she had been presented with. It was red on the bottom half and gold on the top half with the symbol for Mars engraved as a pendant at the top of the pen.

"What is this?" She asked as she waved at it slightly with a raised eyebrow.

"It's your transformation pen." Serena answered seriously. "Since you have the symbol for Mars I presume all you have to say is 'mars power' and you'll become Sailor Mars."

Raye stared at Serena for a long few moments, looking at her serious face and into her eyes to see confidence and expectation. She shifted her gaze to Amy and saw calm confidence and welcome as she looked back to her. She nodded slightly to herself before she gripped the pen and held it up at eye level.

"Mars Power!" She said, and was blinded by red light.

She closed her eyes and felt comforting heat enveloping her from the light. When the brightness behind her closed eyes faded she opened them and saw both scouts smiling at her.

She looked down and blinked in surprise to see herself dressed in a sailor suit just like theirs. The only differences was that her color was red just like her transformation pen, though the bow on her chest was a dark purple, and she wore high heel shoes instead of the knee high boots they wore.

She looked to them and saw that each of them were wearing different earrings, and she lifted her hands to her ears and felt that she was wearing dangling five point stars, which she assumed were red as well since that was apparently her dominate color.

Raye relaxed her arms and took a few steps as she walked in a small circle in the grass and wondered how she was supposed to fight and presumably run in high heels. She didn't know but she guessed she would find out at some point.

She turned and faced the two girls again and breathed a quiet sigh.

"What now?" She asked.

"Now we talk in more detail and answer any questions you have." Serena said before she released her transformation.

Raye nodded and watched Amy release her transformation. She briefly wondered how to do that, but being smart as she was she decided to focus on simply not wanting to be transformed anymore. Her transformation released, and she watched Serena look around before looking back to her.

"I don't want us to be overheard by anyone with good hearing." Serena said. "Can we possibly take this conversation indoors?" She asked.

"Yes. We can go to my house." Raye replied.

"Are your duties around the temple done?" Amy asked in slight concern.

"They are. I was just taking a final look around when I saw you." Raye told them before she began to lead them out of the forest.

She led them into her house and to a room that Serena recognized as the one they always used for meetings, studying, and hanging out. They then made themselves comfortable on the cushions that were around the low table in the middle of the room.

"So how did the two of you become scouts?" Raye asked.

"I became a scout when Luna came to me a little over a month ago." Serena said as she gestured to Luna who was sitting on the side of the table. "I'll let her tell how she introduced me to my duty."

Raye blinked as the black cat cleared her throat and began to explain how she had come across Serena and recognized her as Sailor Moon. She was surprised that the cat was talking, though she was sure she shouldn't be. After all, she had did that flip in the air that somehow produced her transformation pen, so there had to be something different about her.

But she acknowledged to herself that it helped to make all this more real. Not that Serena and Amy's transformation, as well as her own, hadn't done that. It just added to it.

Raye listened as Luna explained going to Serena's home and telling her about being a scout and her duty as well as giving her her transformation brooch, and how minutes after that she was on her way to her first fight.

"The fight was scary, and it was surprising being able to run and move like I did. I was much more quicker and agile then I normally would've been." Serena said, taking over the story telling.

"A few weeks ago Amy became Sailor Mercury." She continued. "We actually go to school together, and she transferred into my class one day and I saw the Mercury symbol glowing on her forehead."

"She and Luna came to my apartment one afternoon, and they revealed to me that I was a scout and about our princess and the duties we have as scouts." Amy said. "I was shocked. I didn't think someone like me could be like Sailor V and Sailor Moon, but it was obviously true." She added.

"What exactly is our purpose?" Raye asked.

"You are to fight the monsters attacking people throughout the city and stop them from taking their energy, locate your remaining fellow scouts, and find the Moon Princess and protect her." Luna explained seriously, and the new scout nodded thoughtfully.

"Have you already fought?" Raye asked Amy, and she nodded.

"Yes. I've fought a couple of times now." Amy answered. "The first time I relied heavily on instinct, but now I'm more comfortable with it."

"We train together on the weekends since we both have after school classes." Serena said. "It helps us get used to using our powers, refine them so we can use them better, and get used to fighting together and better our teamwork."

"I actually take martial arts classes and a gymnastics class after school to better help my fighting technique and maneuverability." She added.

"I train on my own during the week when I don't have my after school class." Amy said. "I exercise and work out to keep myself in shape, and practice with my power afterward."

"I strongly advise you to do the same since we never know when an attack will happen." Serena added as she looked to Raye. "We need to be prepared at all times."

Raye nodded; figuring she could use the forest behind her house to work out and practice in since it was expansive and offered her privacy.

"How do you know when there's an attack, and how are we supposed to get in touch with each other when there is one?" She asked.

Serena looked to Luna just as she jumped up and flipped in the air for the second time that day, and watched as a small pink object fell toward Raye.

"It's a communicator." Luna said as Raye caught it. "We all have one so you can use it to contact us in the event of an attack or if you see something suspicious or anything that will help toward finding the other scouts and the princess."

"Keep it on you at all times along with your transformation pen." Serena added, and Raye blinked and frowned slightly.

"Where _is_ my transformation pen?" She asked since it had disappeared after she transformed.

"It's in your subspace pocket." Serena answered, and Raye looked at her in confusion. "Gesture with your hand, and think of wanting your pen." She instructed calmly.

Raye did and was surprised when her transformation pen dropped into her hand. She did it again, this time focusing on putting the pen away, and it disappeared. She did the same with her communicator and it disappeared as well.

"Do you have some paper and a pen or pencil?" Serena asked, and she nodded.

"Why?" Raye asked.

"I think we should all exchange phone numbers, so we can talk." Serena replied.

"Why not just use the communicators?" Raye asked curiously.

"Because they're for scout business. We should only use them to contact each other for enemy attacks or information we need to pass to each other quickly without waiting until we can meet up again." Serena explained.

Raye nodded and after retrieving the pen and paper they all wrote down their number for each other before putting them away so they wouldn't forget or lose them.

"So it's only the three of us?" Raye asked, and they all nodded. "What about Sailor V? Is she one of us?"

"I'm unsure since I've never seen her in person." Luna said with a frown in her voice. "I would need to if I'm to tell if she is or not."

"Neither of us has seen her either." Amy added.

Serena remained silent.

"Okay. So, what does the Moon Princess look like?" Raye asked, changing topics.

"I don't remember." Luna answered.

"Well, how many scouts are there?" She asked.

"Unfortunately, I don't remember that either." Luna said, and Raye frowned.

"How are we supposed to find this princess if we don't know what she looks like?" She asked. "And for that matter, how are we supposed to know when all the scouts are found?"

"I'll know instinctively when all the scouts are found." Luna assured her. "As for finding the princess I suggest you all start looking for the silver crystal. Perhaps it can lead us to her somehow." She said, and all the girls nodded.

"So what do you know about the enemy so far?" Raye asked.

"The monsters that have attacked so far seem to do so at random, and they're trying to collect energy from humans when they do." Serena said.

"They seem to try different ways to get energy as well. Gathering from children one time, adults another, and one time students with high intellect." Amy added.

"Unfortunately, beyond that we are learning as we go. We don't know who is sending the monsters or what the hierarchy or chain of command with them is." Luna said, and Raye nodded thoughtfully.

"You said we are all reincarnated, so will we remember our past lives?" She asked.

"I asked the same thing." Amy said.

"I hope so." Luna answered. "I myself am still in the process of remembering, and it will help us greatly if you do; not to mention it will be good for you in general."

Serena and Amy nodded at Luna's words.

"I can't _wait_ to remember. I'm extremely curious about the past, and what it was like." Amy said. "What was it like living on the Moon, did we have the same personalities and habits? We were scouts of different planets, so did we live on those planets at some point, were we born there?" She added excitedly.

They all speculated on that for a little while and when their conversation began to wind away from talk of scouts and past lives Serena decided it was time she depart.

"I'm going to go now." She said as she stood up. "I have a date with my boyfriend. He's getting off work soon, and by the time I get to his place he should be ready to start."

Amy and Raye nodded, and Raye began to stand but Serena waved her back.

"No, no. That's okay. I'll see myself out. You guys continue talking. I'll talk to you both later." She said.

"Alright." Raye said.

"Have fun." Amy said. "I'll see you in class if we don't get to talk later."

"Okay." Serena said with a wave before she turned and began to walk toward the door.

She didn't see Luna's eyes narrow in a frown in her direction as she walked.

 **~~uUuUu~~**

It had been a week since Raye had become Sailor Mars, and the three girls were getting along well. Since the girls had exchanged numbers they made sure to talk every day, usually in a three-way call, but sometimes just one on one calls.

They spoke of the school they went to, their studies and the subjects they liked and didn't like, about their likes and dislikes in general, and about their individual training.

When the weekend arrived the girls met up early in the morning at the park Amy and Serena had been using for their team training dressed comfortably in workout clothes. They stretched, exercised, and stretched again before Amy and Serena took turns sparing with Raye.

Serena gave Raye a similar speech to what she had given Amy about the guardian scouts having fighting instincts and how they should've learned to fight physically in the past. She wanted to bring those instincts out and exercise her fighting muscle, so she would be ready when there was an attack.

Raye thought that was smart, and they got right down to it.

They went on with it until Raye was somewhat comfortable with her fighting ability, and their ability to fight as a team, then they transformed and Serena had Raye focus on her power. Concentrate on what her transformation felt like and think about wanting to use offensive attacks.

Raye understood and focused her mind as Serena and Amy moved away a few feet to practice with their own powers.

Raye sighed lightly and closed her eyes. She remembered her transformation, the warm heated feeling, and focused on wanting to fight and attack. Warmth began to fill her body and she instinctively brought her arms up and her hands together. It began to grow hotter at the tips of her fore fingers, and her eyes snapped open.

"Mars Fire Ignite!" She called loudly, and watched as a ball of fire grew larger before it flew from her fingertips and smashed against a tree across from her.

"Congratulations Raye." Amy said and Raye turned to them with a calm smile after she was sure she wasn't going to cause a fire in the park.

"Yes. Congratulations on your discovery." Serena said with an easy smile. "Now that you have it I think you should focus on launching it without speaking, changing the level of intensity of the flame if you can, and see if you can control it once it's been launched."

"I discovered that I can control my fog, so I can make it more dense or thin as the situation calls." Amy said helpfully.

"And I can control my tiara after I launch it." Serena added. "It's okay if you can't do either, but it's better to find out now than in the middle of a fight."

Raye nodded and thought those were good suggestions, and spent the rest of that training session working on trying to launch her attack without speaking. She found that it was more difficult then she thought it would be, and only had minimal success.

"Hey don't worry about it. You'll get it eventually." Amy said gently.

"Yeah. That's what practice is for. Work on it every day, and you'll have it down in no time." Serena encouraged.

"Thanks you guys." Raye said in appreciation.

From there the trio released their transformations and left the park, and decided to hang out together. They agreed to meet at the arcade since both Amy and Raye knew of it, and went home, showered, and changed and headed back out to the arcade.

Once they met up they ordered something to eat, and continued to get to know each other.

* * *

Raye sighed as she swept up the fallen leaves of the numerous trees around the temple. Just a few minutes ago she had sold amulets to a few girls her age who looked like they had come from school since they were still in their uniforms. Few people had come to the temple that day, which wasn't surprising, but it was still disheartening.

It had started off slow, so slow that hardly anyone noticed at first. People going missing after coming to the temple. It started happening more and more and people began to realize entire public buses full of people were going missing near the temple. No one could explain why it was happening, so foolishly they started blaming the disappearances on the temple, calling the sacred ground cursed. It was frustrating but she understood it was the nature of people.

Raye, Serena, Amy, and Luna had talked about it and they all thought the disappearances had something to do with their enemy, so they had agreed on that day to try and stake out the bus stop and see if they could catch sight of anything. Like a bus going missing.

Once Raye finished cleaning up the leaves she looked around and saw that no one was around trying to buy amulets, so she decided now was a good time to do some meditating in front of the great fire. She hoped it would help clear and settle her mind before the stake out.

Raye put her broom away and headed inside the main temple. She walked the halls and stopped outside a door and slid it open, and stepped inside and slid the door closed behind her. She stepped further into the room and moved to sit in front of the large flames of the great fire, then closed her eyes and rested her hands lightly on her knees and focused on clearing her mind.

Once it was clear she recalled that she had meant to meditate on the new guy and figure out why he gave her a bad feeling. She couldn't believe she had forgotten about that, but then again she had been distracted with what she had become and all that went with it.

She was now Sailor Mars, a scout whose duty it was to find the Moon Princess and protect her, along with finding her fellow remaining sailor scouts, and fighting the monsters that had been attacking around the city. It was still a lot to take in and adjust to, but it felt right and it was slowly becoming normal to think of herself as a scout.

Raye breathed deeply and concentrated on everything she knew about the new guy her grandfather had hired. _Jed_. She thought as she pictured how tall he was, the short blonde hair, his blue eyes, and the smirk he gave when he was interacting with females.

She pictured the white and light blue priest robes he wore, the day he had showed up for the first time, and the bad feeling he gave her. She even recalled the way he seemed to always try and hide his eyes, as if he was trying to conceal his emotions and thoughts from being seen.

The fire flared slightly and she opened her eyes and stared into the flames. She saw Jed standing in his priest robes before his image wavered. When the image solidified again he was standing in a dark gray uniform with red accents and knee high maroon boots.

The view flipped back and forth from him in the uniform to him as she was used to seeing him around the temple. It settled on him in the dark uniform before his image shrunk, and showed him hovering over a few buses with some kind of swirling blue ball of energy in his hand.

Raye frowned as she stared, memorizing what she was seeing, as she focused on keeping the image in the flames. He gave a silent laugh and the image faded away soon after.

She breathed in deeply through her nose and released it slowly through her mouth. The images were obviously letting her know that Jed was deceiving them. She got the sense that he was the enemy, or part of the Scouts enemy, and was likely using the temple in some nefarious plan.

 _Which is likely part of the reason the buses and people are going missing_. She thought quietly. She absolutely hated the thought that the temple was being used by their enemy, but she was glad that she at least knew now.

 _I'm going to have to tell the others when they arrived, especially since they haven't mentioned coming across anyone that looks like Jed. So far it's just monsters._ Raye thought with a frown. _I get the sense that he's above the monsters in whatever hierarchy the enemy has_.

 **~~uUu~~**

Early evening found Sailor Mercury standing in a wide alley. There were no windows so she didn't have to worry about anyone opening them and looking down and seeing her.

There were no buildings across the street, just the trees that made up the forest surrounding the temple, but she could be seen by people walking along the sidewalk if they happened to look her way. If they were minding their own business then they wouldn't notice her.

She leaned against the wall near the opening to the alleyway and looked out. From the direction she was facing she would be able to see the bus coming before the others did.

Suddenly she heard her communicator start to beep, and she pulled it out and saw the Moon symbol flashing.

"Mercury here." She answered.

 _"Is everyone in position?"_ She heard Sailor Moon ask.

"I'm in position, and I have a clear view of the road." She reported.

"I'm in position, and Luna's with me." Sailor Mars reported from her spot high up in a tree.

She held on to a branch as she looked around. She was surrounded by trees and hidden unless someone was trying to look for her, and she had a clear view of the bus stop they were staking out. There was a girl sitting there, and she frowned at her.

"Sailor Moon is that you sitting at the bus stop?" She asked.

"It's me." Serena confirmed as she glanced down at herself. She had changed her appearance to look like a school girl different then herself. Her hair was much shorter, and in a slightly high ponytail trailing down to the middle of her back.

She had managed it by using the disguise pen she got from Luna that morning when she mentioned wanting to sit out in the open without her real identity possibly being seen by the enemy.

Serena didn't want Jedite to see her civilian identity and see her become Sailor Moon, and know who she was since she knew he was in the area. On top of that she had the idea to include her communicator in the disguise so it looked like she was talking on a cellphone.

"What do you two want to talk about to pass the time while we wait for the bus?" She asked as her eyes idly looked around.

 _"I have something to tell you both."_ Sailor Mars voice came through. _"A little while before you arrived I meditated in front of the great fire, and focused on a guy that works at the temple. He's been giving me a bad feeling and I hoped to find out why since the fire gives me guidance when I meditate in front of it."_

 _"It showed him and his image changed to show him wearing a uniform, and he was standing, hovering above a couple of buses, and holding a ball of swirling energy."_ She informed them.

"Well in that case he sounds like he's part of our enemy. Likely the person who oversees the monsters that have been attacking." Sailor Mercury said as she looked out down the street. After all, she didn't think Mars was making it up.

"And when we get around to confronting him he's likely going to be powerful, and maybe even more aggressive than the monsters." Serena commented.

She actually couldn't wait until Jedite confronted them because that would give her and Darien the chance to get him away from the Negaverse, which would mean one of her Prince's generals would be back with him.

 _"I wonder why he's at the temple."_ Sailor Mercury said idly.

"He's likely here to keep an eye on the progress of what's happening with the buses. Maybe to see firsthand what's happening." Serena said. "Maybe up until now our enemy hasn't known why their monsters are being defeated."

 _"So it's possible they're trying to find out the cause."_ Sailor Mars said.

"Yes." She replied. "And if that's the case maybe we'll be able to find out something about our enemy. Something concrete; like what they call themselves and who they are."

 _Of course I already know, but I need Amy, Raye, and Luna to find out without me telling them._ She thought. She couldn't remember exactly when they learned the enemy was called the Negaverse, but she thought they had learned it from Jedite. _And technically they're a supernatural terrorist organization, so that takes care of the who_.

In any case she would get the information out of Jedite at some point either during their confrontation or during a time where he shows up briefly. They needed that information at this point whether it happened the first time around or not.

Sailor Mercury frowned slightly as she wondered what their enemy called themselves, but straightened up suddenly from the wall she was slightly leaning against when she heard the sound of a vehicle coming. She looked carefully and the front of a bus began to appear down the street.

"A bus is coming!" She said urgently, and paused as it came closer and got a look at the driver. "The driver is female, and has her hat pulled low over her eyes. I think that's deliberate." She added before she stepped out onto the sidewalk, and quickly yet carefully followed the bus.

"I hear it coming." Sailor Mars said as she looked in the direction of the sound.

 _"Me too."_ She heard Sailor Moon agree.

 _"I_ _'m following the bus; I'm going to take my position as we agreed."_ Sailor Mercury chimed in before she went quiet. _"I_ _'_ _m in position."_ She reported.

"I'll get in position as soon as the bus stops." Sailor Mars said.

 _"I_ _'ll get on and see what happens. If nothing happens I'll get off after a stop or two."_ She heard Sailor Moon say.

 _"Be careful."_ Sailor Mercury said.

"Yeah, and good luck." Sailor Mars added.

 _"Thanks, and I'll be careful."_ Sailor Moon said.

"Do you want to come?" Sailor Mars asked Luna after she ended the connection and put her communicator away.

"No. I'll follow from the streets to see what happens from the outside if anything." Luna said.

Sailor Mars nodded and jumped down from the tree before carefully moving through the trees so she could get to the bus easier. Luna followed so she could follow the bus easier; part of her hoping nothing would happen and the bus wouldn't disappear.

Serena took a deep breath and released it slowly as she put her disguised communicator away. _Relax_. She told herself as she took out her bus pass.

As the bus got closer she stood up and prepared to get on. She could see Mercury crouched down on top of the bus, but forced herself not to look up at her as the bus stopped in front of her.

The doors opened and she stepped on and presented her bus pass as she got a good look at the driver. It was the same one she remembered from the first time around, so she was sure the bus was going to be disappearing.

She walked toward the seats seeing that there were a few school age students on the bus as well as adults. She stopped at a two seater seat toward the back just pass the middle of the bus, and sat in the seat next to the isle. She glanced out the window and saw Mars leap on top of the bus to get in position. She just hoped Darien was there somewhere.

The doors to the bus closed and it began to drive off. Luna immediately moved out of the trees and began to run on the sidewalk alongside the bus. Behind her Tuxedo Mask darted out of the trees he had been hiding in.

Serena had filled him in on what the girls were going to do earlier that day, so after their classes they had headed home and put their things away before heading toward the temple.

He had gotten there after her and had found a place in the forest to position himself. He had picked a spot not far from Mars but further back in the trees so as to not be seen by her, but still have a view of the street. He didn't want to be seen by her, and that cat, _Luna_ , was with her as well.

Now that both Mars and Luna had moved he could make his move, so he hurried behind the bus as it began to pick up speed and grabbed onto the back of the bus. He perched on the bumper as he clung tightly to whatever he could, and looked through the window. He could see Serena sitting there. She looked relaxed and he hoped she actually felt that way.

After two stops Serena decided she would get off at the next one since nothing had happened so far except for more people getting on. She sighed as she looked out the window next to her then turned in her seat in preparation to get up when the next stop was a bit closer.

Suddenly she noticed people starting to fall asleep or pass out in their seats. She looked up toward the front of the bus and stood up as she realized this must be it. Suddenly the bus jolted and she nearly fell as the bus began to lift off the ground. It went higher and higher before a swirling black hole opened in the sky.

Luna stopped running as she watched the bus begin to lift into the air. She worried about the girls, but they had been aware something might happen. Maybe not exactly this, but something unusual to be sure.

Then she gasped as she saw Tuxedo Mask hanging onto the back of the bus. How did he know the girls were on the bus?! Or did he? Had he too found out about the disappearing buses?

She definitely didn't like that he was there. She hoped he didn't hurt the girls or get in their way, and she sincerely hoped he wasn't a part of their enemy. Then it occurred to her to wonder what would happen if he saw Serena transform, but then she reminded herself that Serena was in disguise so he wouldn't know it was her.

Sailor Mercury frowned as she looked through her visor, having activated it as soon as the bus started to rise into the air, and understood from the readings she was getting that they were now in another dimension.

As they leveled out she carefully turned and looked back the way they came and saw the opening they had come through was still wide open. She hoped it stayed that way since she had no idea how to get them out if it closed.

"We're in another dimension." She quietly told her companion, and she nodded.

"The other buses are here as well, but I can't tell if the people are still on them." Sailor Mars replied.

"I'll be able to determine that, but first we need to get the monster off the bus so Sailor Moon isn't trapped in there with it." Sailor Mercury said.

Sailor Mars nodded and they stood up and ran along the bus's roof before they jumped off and landed on the ground in front of the bus before they spun around and faced the front of the bus.

"Who are you? How are you conscious?" The bus driver demanded loudly. "It doesn't matter." The driver said right after as she opened the front door and stepped off the bus. "You look strong. Your energy might help my master."

The bus driver's disguise seemed to melt away as they spoke leaving a female monster with light green skin, long blood red hair, and wearing a black possibly dark green sleeveless knee length body suit with matching forearm sleeves. It had an emaciated reptile look with sharp pointed front teeth, large eyes, and clawed hands with red nails.

Sailor Mercury and Sailor Mars shared a glance before Mars took a deep breath, and decided it was time to put all the training she had done to good use.

"Mars Fire Ignite!" She called out after she brought her hands together. She was irritated that she still needed to voice the attack, but still she watched the ball of fire shoot out of her fingers and streak toward the monster.

Serena stayed still, quietly listening to and watching the monster. It apparently didn't notice that she was still conscious, and she wasn't going to do anything to change that. _But I still need to transform_. She thought.

However, looking around at the unconscious people she was reluctant to do it inside the bus in case she wasn't the only one still awake. She was still in disguise but she still felt uncomfortable transforming there.

She looked forward, seeing out the front window, as the monster began to confront her fellow scouts. It still hadn't dropped its own disguise and it wasn't far enough away from the front door for her to go out that way.

She looked around for another exit, dismissing the back doors since opening those manually would involve braking the glass to the lever which would make noise, and then focused on the windows. She saw the levers on the large windows, and figured she could open one of those quietly and slip out unnoticed.

Serena stood up and moved further back and to the other side of the bus where no one sat, and gripped the lever on the side of the window and pulled as she pushed against the window. It opened silently and she glanced forward as the sounds of fighting began before she carefully eased out the window. She was surprised to feel arms gripping her legs and she tensed before she heard a voice.

"It's okay. I've got you." The familiar masculine voice said.

Serena relaxed as she recognized Tuxedo Mask's voice and focused as he helped her out of the window.

"I'm glad you made it." She said as she turned to face him once she was standing on the ground.

"I am as well." Tuxedo Mask said before he looked toward the fighting and then guided her toward the back of the bus. Once there she pulled out her brooch from her subspace pocket and held it up slightly.

"Moon Prism Power." She said firmly, and transformed in a pink light.

Tuxedo Mask squinted in the light of her transformation from being so close as he kept a look out to make sure no one was coming in their direction. When the light faded he looked back to his companion and saw the scout of the Moon standing next to him.

"I'm going to try and get the other buses together, and see if the people on them are alright." He said, and she nodded.

"I'll go and help the others." Sailor Moon said.

"Good luck." He wished her.

"Good luck to you too." She returned before they separated.

Tuxedo Mask headed toward one of the buses off in the distance, and she toward the monster and her fellow scouts.

Sailor Moon moved stealthily along the side of the bus and paused as she reached the front. The monster had obviously dropped its disguise and allowed its true form to be seen. That was fine by her but the issue she had was the mystery surrounding this monster. It hadn't shown any powers the first time around before it was defeated. She worried about what it could do this time if they didn't defeat it quickly enough.

She watched with a confused frown as Mars shot her fire at the monster, and it dissipated into nothing as the monster lifted its hand. She couldn't figure out how it did that. Then to her shock the monster raised its hand up and Mercury and Mars suddenly lifted off the ground with exclamations of shock and surprise. Their arms and legs waved in the air, instinctively trying to find stable purchase and finding none.

She held in a gasp as the monster lowered its hand slightly and the girls began to drop before suddenly stopping after a few feet.

Sailor Moon had seen enough. She ran forward, judging the girls to be low enough not to be hurt when they fell to the ground, and jumped up and kicked the monster in the middle of its back sending it flying forward and to the ground.

As she landed she looked up to see her fellow scouts fall to the ground, landing in a crouch before they stood and the three of them arranged themselves in a triangle around the monster. It climbed to its feet and shifted so it could see all of them, and seemed to hesitate as its eyes shifted from one scout to the other.

Sailor Moon decided not to let this go on. This monster obviously had powers that could make things difficult for them, and she didn't want to find out first hand.

She pulled off her tiara and charged it until it took the form of a floating white disk, and threw it toward the monster. It looked toward her quickly and just like the first time around it caught her tiara like it was nothing.

Sailor Moon narrowed her eyes and held her hand out as she silently commanded her tiara to hold the monster. The glowing disk quickly and suddenly grew larger and expanded around the monster before it shrunk and trapped the monsters arms against its body.

Sailor Mars took that as her cue and launched her Mars Fire Ignite attack, and they watched as the fireball sped toward the monster before engulfing it. The monster screamed as the flames expanded into a pillar of fire around it before the sound eventually cut off and the monster disintegrated into nothing.

"Are you both okay?" Sailor Moon asked after she summoned her tiara back to her, and moved toward Mars and Mercury.

"Yes we're okay." Sailor Mercury said, and Mars nodded before she looked around Moon.

"Who's doing that?" She asked as she gestured behind Sailor Moon.

They looked and saw that all three buses were together, the other two having joined the one they all rode in on, and they watched as a masked man came from behind the head bus and began to jog alongside the bus.

"That's Tuxedo Mask." Sailor Moon said.

"Come on!" Tuxedo Mask called to them. "We have to hurry! The hole is closing!"

The three scouts looked up and saw that the hole they had entered was getting smaller. They hurried toward the bus without a word, and got in before Tuxedo closed the door and began to drive just as the bus seemed to begin to float.

* * *

Luna sat on the sidewalk worriedly watching the sky and the black hole the bus had disappeared into, hoping the girls were able to defeat the monster, whatever it was, and that Tuxedo Mask didn't cause any problems.

She didn't know what she would do if he hurt the girls. She very much hoped he didn't, but there was no telling what his motives were for being where the girls were whenever there was a monster involved.

She knew he couldn't just be showing up when the girls transformed because she knew the girls did that when they trained, and none of them ever said he appeared while they were training.

Luna wondered if she should start going to the training sessions, but Serena had been adamant that she stay away so they could get used to fighting and operating without her there. Obviously it was a good thing since they were out fighting at this very moment, and here she was having been left behind.

Long tense minutes passed as she alternated between looking up at the sky and pacing, and when she looked back up to the sky she gasped as she saw the hole beginning to close. She didn't know if that meant the monster was trying to trap them or if they had defeated the monster and the hole was closing since the monster wasn't around to keep it open. Either way the hole closing up was a bad sign.

Luna's heart practically raced as she watched the hole grow smaller and smaller, and then suddenly when she was sure it was about to close a blue light shot through it and seemed to push the hole open wider and wider until it was the size it originally had been, and then it grew even larger before three buses that appeared to be attached together began to float through.

She watched anxiously as the buses moved lower and lower before they touched down, surprisingly gently, on the street and came to a stop.

She moved toward the lead bus and around the front and stopped as she saw Sailor Moon, Sailor Mars, and Sailor Mercury step off. She was about to step forward when she saw another person step off and realized it was Tuxedo Mask.

"Thank you for your help." Sailor Moon said as she turned to Tuxedo Mask. "We really appreciate it."

"It was no problem. I'm glad I could help, and I'm glad you all made it out unharmed." Tuxedo Mask said before he looked around. "I better go. You all should do the same since three buses crowding the street is bound to bring the attention of the authorities."

The three scouts nodded seriously and watched as he turned and ran off, leaping onto a nearby building, and disappeared out of sight.

"I'm glad you all made it back." Luna said as she finally stepped closer. "Did you defeat the monster?" She asked as they looked toward her, and the girls nodded.

"Mars' fire took care of the monster easily, and Mercury made sure we were able to get back through the black hole." Sailor Moon reported, and the feline nodded.

"You all did a good job." Luna said proudly. "I noticed Tuxedo Mask's presence. I hope he didn't try to interfere." She added.

"He didn't." Sailor Mercury assured her. "I didn't even know he was there until after the monster was defeated." She added, and Sailor Mars simply nodded her agreement.

"He helped me sneak off the bus so I could transform, and he gathered the buses together so we could leave quickly." Sailor Moon informed her, and Luna sighed and shook her head.

"Regardless of his seeming help I'm not happy that he was here. I don't trust him since he never sticks around, and we don't know what he wants or why he's always showing up to fights." Luna said.

The three scouts exchanged a look, but said nothing to her words.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer** **: I do not own Sailor Moon or her characters, and have no right to it except as a long time fan.**

Unexpected Restart  
Chapter Seven: Restoring Darien

Late in the afternoon Ikuko Tsukino watched her daughter head upstairs with her friends after she had introduced them to her after arriving home. They were two girls, new friends as far as she could see, especially after just meeting them. Amy Anderson and Raye Hino.

Meeting the two new friends in her daughter's life reminded her of the new things she was noticing about her daughter and the changes she was seeing. There was nothing bad about any of it. In fact, they were all good for the most part as far as she could tell, but it was just the sudden quantity and that they were all happening recently that was concerning her.

She thought back to the first of them; the after school classes her daughter had wanted to take. She was still surprised that Serena wanted to take those martial arts classes and the gymnastics class. In fact, she was surprised, and becoming ashamed of it, that Serena was still going to those classes and apparently enjoying herself.

There was no skipping as far as she could tell and Serena never complained. Not even about the lack of allowance. Though she reminded herself to tell her husband it was time to start giving her a little something since it was clear she wasn't going to quit the classes and wasn't complaining.

It wasn't long after her daughter's decision to take the classes that she began to pick up on other things. Such as the fact that her daughter, who used to use any excuse to sleep in, was waking up on time on school days and sometimes even early. She was even doing her homework every day and studying, and as a result her grades were climbing. In fact, she was being more responsible in general.

Beyond that she wasn't clumsy anymore, and she was actually being neat. There was no clothing, magazines, or comic books strewn across her bedroom floor, and her bed was always made.

Ikuko had also noticed the gold brooch her daughter began to wear on her school uniform top. It was an absolutely beautiful piece of jewelry but she couldn't help wondering where it came from, and how much it cost since it looked rather expensive.

Despite all of that there was one thing that worried her, and that was the injuries she was noticing on her daughter's body. Bruises in random places, the occasional limping, and flinching during a hug. She didn't like it, and didn't know where they were coming from, but was beginning to suspect they weren't coming from her after school classes.

Even with her concerns she hadn't said anything to her husband about any of those things since she didn't think he had noticed much of it. And she especially hadn't mentioned that she had seen Serena being dropped off a couple of times by a young man with a car. She knew that he certainly couldn't be her daughter's age with a car like that.

Ikuko was seriously concerned. She could admit it to herself now. She needed to know how and why her daughter was being injured, and if she had a boyfriend in the young man that was driving her home.

And if he was she hoped beyond hope that he wasn't the cause of her injuries.

 **~~uUuUu~~**

Time had passed as it does for everyone. It had been two weeks since Raye's first fight as Sailor Mars and besides training and hanging out when they could the secret scouts had been involved in two fights with monsters.

The first was at an amusement park. There had been reports of people going missing after visiting the park, but there was no evidence that it was actually taking place at the park so it wasn't closing to visitors.

Amy had looked into it, using her minicomputer to research the disappearances and what people remembered and were saying, and found that the missing people were reported to say they were going to a certain attraction within the park and were not seen since. Even when the police went to check all the rides and attractions they didn't find any of the missing people; yet more would still go missing.

The secret scouts went to investigate during the weekend and it turned out that the whole situation was a trap for them as Scouts, and its secondary purpose was getting energy.

The monster they fought disguised itself as a main character in one of the parks attractions, Snow White, but once they showed themselves her appearance changed into a life size puppet like doll.

They found that the missing people had been put to sleep and were having their energy drained, so they of course fought the monster and together they defeated it which restored the people's energy and woke them up.

The latest fight took place on a cruise ship. Serena had remembered that one very well, and had been at a loss of how to deal with the monster on the ship.

There was no guarantee that Raye would once again get tickets and if she did there was no guarantee that she would invite her, and Serena couldn't very well mention that the ship was an energy trap without giving away her secret. She also didn't want to go with Darien as a couple since that was how the energy was being taken. Plus that would give away their identity to their enemy.

Still, she remembered coming across Jedite when he was alone, and thought it was a good opportunity to grill him for information.

Serena eventually ended up telling Darien about the cruise ship and what had happened. After that he tried to win the tickets since he hadn't tried before and it would be better if they got on without having to sneak on. Plus, Darien hadn't been there for that monster encounter, so it would be new to the both of them for the most part.

Luckily he managed to win the tickets and they decided to go as a couple; figuring they would be safe from the monsters affects since they knew what they were there for.

 **~Flashback~**

 _Darien picked Serena up that evening from her house, already dressed in a black suit, and began to drive toward the area where the cruise ship was docked. When they arrived he parked in a spot on the street and they began to walk toward the ship, but paused in a side alley so Serena could get ready in a sense._

 _Serena pulled out her disguise pen from her subspace pocket and changed her appearance a bit since she still worried about her unique hair style being recognized. Plus, she hadn't wanted to leave the house dressed up and have to deal with questions. As it was she had left with a hurried goodbye and that she would be back in a few hours._

 _She changed into a navy blue strap knee length dress with an empire waist with black strap medium heel shoes, and her hair styled reminiscently of Mina's though much shorter and only trailing down her back and curled on top of that._

 _She looked to Darien and found that he had changed his appearance slightly while she was busy. His hair was now a light brown and his eyes were a hazel leaning more toward green._

 _Once they were set they continued on their way to the ship and joined the flow of formally dressed couples walking up the draw bridge and onto the ship showing their tickets at the door. They were let on just like the people before them, and began to walk through the ship hand in hand exploring; yet keeping their eyes and senses open as they headed for the top deck._

 _They eventually reached the decorated deck and casually walked along the far side to gaze out into the water. It was a beautiful view and would have been a romantic atmosphere if they didn't know what was really going on._

 _After nearly half an hour the ship began to move, and they decided to move inside the ship and see what they could find. They managed to subtly search the entirety of one floor, and found nothing of interest before a female voice came on the loud speaker announcing dinner would be served soon and for everyone to make their way to the dining room._

 _Serena and Darien exchanged a look. They had both already decided to skip that after Serena had told Darien about the actual condition of the ship beneath the illusion._

 _She knew that Amy and Raye had eaten the food and said it had tasted fine and they had suffered no after effects, but neither of them were willing to chance it because Serena knew there had been nothing on that ship. Sure the food could have been part of the illusion but after the monster was defeated and the illusion was gone they had still felt full from eating._

 _Instead they decided to look for Jedite since Serena remembered that he was the ship's captain, and he was their reason for being there. They subtly separated themselves from the rest of the coupled passengers, and found a room that turned out to be a guest quarters. They transformed quickly and left the room to begin their hunt in earnest._

 _A few minutes later they came down a hallway and spotted him coming out of a door. He paused in clear surprise as he spotted them and then frowned._

 _"That's Jedite." Sailor Moon quietly pointed out, and Tuxedo Mask nodded._

 _"You!" Jedite said as he looked at Sailor Moon._

 _"Yes, me." Sailor Moon replied as she and Tuxedo Mask took a step forward._

 **~End Flashback~**

They had questioned him, and afterward he had disappeared. They had quickly made their way back up to the deck judging it best to get out in the open before anything attacked them. As they passed the dining hall they saw that the guests were collapsed all over the room, and Serena knew that the fighting was really about to start.

As soon as they reached the front deck they were confronted by Jedite and the monster who looked like a regular woman with long dark teal hair and teal eyes wearing a skirt suit and hat showing that she was part of the crew.

Jedite told her to take care of them and left, and as soon as he was gone her entire appearance changed.

She wore a dark blue sleeveless body suit, and white gloves stretching all the way up her upper arms with three long spikes coming off the sides. She had longer black hair, her skin was paper white, and all facial features were gone aside from her glowing red eyes and a small gold crescent moon under her left eye. On her head was a gold crescent moon-like headpiece.

Crew members suddenly began to come on deck and loosely surround them, but the warrior pair were both aware that they were made of water so they quickly took them out with a few strong well placed kicks and punches that reduced them back to water.

The monster wasn't happy about that and attacked them with large columns of sea water, which they managed to dodge out of the way of. But it didn't stop there. More streams and jets of water came at them, and when those didn't work the monster began to form the water into different shapes that came at them in unexpected ways.

They eventually managed to hit the monster with her tiara and his roses combined, and watched as light burst out of her body before she collapsed to her knees and dissolved into water.

Amy, Raye, and Luna had had no idea about the attack until after it had happened, and Serena had said she would inform them of what she learned at their next meeting.

Which is why Serena and her friends were currently at her house. She, Raye, and Amy settled in her bedroom with Luna after having met her mom; ready to hangout and have their meeting.

Serena had thought they could have their meetings at everyone's place, switching up, so no one thought their place was more important. She thought that had been part of the issue with Raye the first time around. They _always_ used her home for their meetings, since it was spacious and offered privacy, and it might have given her a sense of entitlement to the leadership role.

She looked around at her friends as they sat on her bed and pulled out their homework. They were getting along well with each other and becoming closer; although she was slightly surprised that that was true for her and Raye.

She had noticed that Raye's personality was different then it was the first time around. It was as if it had shifted in direct relation to how Serena acted toward her. Where before they were always arguing, butting heads, and being loud; now they were calm and reasonable.

Serena came at her with a calm, level headed, and assertive attitude, and Raye responded in kind with quiet, serious, stoicism. And she couldn't help wondering if this was what they would have grown into or could have been if Serena had acted more mature and maybe hadn't been obvious with her crush on Tuxedo Mask.

She readily admitted that she liked the change, but she was still watchful. After all, she didn't think her personality should have affected Raye's like this, and Raye had yet to meet Darien and she was keeping quiet on the subject of Tuxedo Mask's consistent appearance and help at fights.

Since the door was shut it seemed Luna decided to begin the meeting.

"Girls, I am concerned about Tuxedo Mask and his motives. Why he is helping us, what does he want?" She said, a frown clear in her voice, and Raye nodded in agreement.

"Yes. Who could he be? Is he part of our enemy or is he another enemy altogether?" Raye asked, voicing her thoughts.

"I'm concerned about his appearances, but only because we don't know who he is since beyond that I won't deny he has helped every time there's been a fight." Amy said.

"He can be an enemy trying to lull us into a false sense of security." Luna suggested seriously. "He mentioned looking for the silver crystal at that first attack to Serena." She added as she looked to Serena. "I've recently remembered that the crystal can help us find the princess since it belongs to the royal Moon line. That alone makes him a threat."

Serena listened to all this in silence growing frustrated and angry that it seemed their bias against Tuxedo Mask was happening this time as well.

"For all we know he can think the same about us but he's helping us, and we don't even know if he's still looking for the silver crystal or if he's in fact already found it. After all, no one has mentioned it since that first fight." Serena said to the group before she looked to Luna.

"Since you remember that piece of information do you remember what the princess looks like?" She asked the feline.

"No. I don't remember yet." Luna said, a frown in her voice.

"Do you remember any other people from the past?" Serena asked. "For all we know Tuxedo Mask could have been in the past with us and you just don't remember."

Raye and Amy blinked in surprise as if that thought hadn't occurred to them, and nodded in agreement with Serena's words. Did he have a connection to the princess like they did? Was it possible that he remembered and that was why he was helping them? After all, he knew about the silver crystal. What else did he know?

"True." Luna reluctantly conceded. "I don't remember any others from the past, so it's actually possible."

Serena gazed down at her brooch where it sat on her uniform top, looking at the colorful little gems, and thought she could use that to suggest that there were two more scouts out there, one whose color was green and the other orange.

So she did just that.

"That means you don't remember the other scouts. So far a scout that wears blue and one that wears red has been found, so perhaps the next scouts, possibly the only scouts left, will wear orange and green.

"How do you figure that?" Amy asked, and Serena gestured to her brooch.

"I've been wondering about the colorful gems on it, and what they can mean." She answered.

They all looked to Serena's brooch, and she took it off and handed it to Amy so she could see it closer. Luna looked over Amy's arm to see as well. Amy then handed it to Raye who gazed at it thoughtfully before handing it back to Serena.

"It's possible." Luna said as Serena put her brooch back on. "I don't know if it's true but it gives us a clue and helps to give us something to focus on in our search for the scouts." She stated, and everyone nodded.

"Do you recall what the silver crystal looks like?" Raye asked Luna, and the feline sighed.

"Unfortunately I do not." Luna answered.

Raye pursed her lips and nodded before shifting her eyes away. It was becoming frustrating that Luna didn't really remember anything, but was expecting them to find the other scouts, the princess, and now obviously the silver crystal with so little to go on.

Amy's thoughts moved in a different direction than Raye's. Considering what she had just heard she was becoming less concerned with the masked man's appearances. This actually gave a very plausible explanation for his appearing and helping them. Now she actually wanted to question him and see if he really did know something that could help them.

On top of that this idea about there being two more scouts, one wearing orange and one wearing green, was a very good one. She had noticed that she and Raye tended to wear their planetary colors a lot. She had done so before she found out she was a scout, since it was her preferred color, but she began wearing it even more afterward.

"Did you wear a lot of red before you became a scout?" She asked as she looked to Raye who nodded.

"I did. It's part of my priestess robes but beyond that it's my favorite color so I have a lot of red clothes." Raye said.

"So maybe the other scouts will wear green and orange. That could possibly be something we can focus on in our search." Amy suggested, and everyone nodded.

"Good idea Amy." Luna praised her.

Serena decided then to turn their attention toward what she had managed to learn from Jedite on the cruise ship.

"After Tuxedo Mask and I came across each other we decided to stick together, and began to search for the one or ones responsible since we both saw the signs that it wasn't just a regular cruise happening." She began as they all focused on her.

"We found the captain and could tell from his reaction to just seeing us that he was the one responsible. We asked who he was, who he worked for, and why he was doing what he was doing. He proudly admitted that he was Jedite, general to Queen Beryl, and he was gathering energy for her and the Negaverse." She explained.

He'd also asked them who they were and they had answered, not really caring that he and the Negaverse would know about them. Of course she was keeping that little fact to herself since she doubted Luna and the girls would approve.

They had done it in a show of good faith, so he would give them more information. Although, she and Darien had both noticed he seemed to answer Darien's questions quicker, as if he felt compelled or obliged to answer him even though he was an enemy.

"So we have his real name, Jedite." Raye said. She'd noticed that Jed had disappeared after they had defeated the monster stealing buses. He never returned, and she happily admitted she was pleased about that. She didn't want to work with their enemy.

Amy nodded in agreement. "I'm happy that we have some firm answers. Our enemy is allies with the Negaverse, and they're led by someone named Queen Beryl." She added.

"Does any of this sound familiar or bring any names, faces, or images to mind?" Serena asked Luna, and the feline shook her head slowly.

"Nothing came to mind while I was listening to you talk nor is anything coming now, but it's possible something will come later the longer I spend thinking about it." Luna said.

Raye hummed thoughtfully. "You should spend as much time thinking about it as possible because we need all the information we can so we can find who we need to find and make better informed decisions." She said.

Amy and Serena agreed before Serena began to relay what had happened after they had questioned Jedite with fighting the monster, and after it was defeated seeing that the entire ship had been under an illusion that the monster obviously had been fueling.

 **~~uUuUu~~**

Darien sat in the center of his bed, one leg loosely crossed and the other stretched out, as he summoned his golden crystal. It had been a little over a month since he had come up with his vague idea, which was part of why he had been intent on getting his crystal in the first place.

Things were going well between him and Serena as far as he could tell. They were growing closer, but he wanted to better understand what she had gone through before she traveled back through time.

He wanted to try to better understand the situation between her and her Scouts, and the Scouts issue with him as Tuxedo Mask. She had told him in as much detail as she could remember, but it wasn't the same.

Beyond that there were times where Serena would go quiet, lost in her thoughts, or she would look incredibly sad out of nowhere. There was no other reason for it but the time she had come from, and he very much wanted to understand so he could help her.

Darien had absolutely no problem admitting to himself that as he was now he couldn't help her get beyond the emotions and events that were obviously still affecting her. He didn't know if his idea would work but he was going to use his crystal to try and gain the other Darien's memories. If he could manage it he would understand Serena so much better, and everything with the enemy including the various fights.

He held his crystal so it sat in the middle of his cupped hands, feeling its calm warmth, and closed his eyes to better focus on what he wanted. He thought about every detail of what Serena had told him about the other version of him; their interactions together in the everyday as well as in their secret identities.

 _Help me_. He calmly asked his crystal. _Help me remember that Darien's memories. Help me know what that man knew. It will be a great help to me and it will bring Serena and I closer together_.

In his cupped hands the golden crystal pulsed and spread its warmth as it bathed its guardian and holder in its light as it began to fulfill his request.

Darien felt pleasantly warm and almost as if he was on the verge of falling asleep. He wondered if he should try to fight it but got the sense that he shouldn't, so he figured it was his crystals doing.

After a few moments the sensation vanished and he slowly eased his eyes open. He blinked in surprise to find himself standing in a blue gray open area that was surrounded in misty gray white fog. No matter which way he turned all he could see was endless fog.

Darien was confused as he looked around. How was this supposed to help him remember or find out what the other version of him knew?

Just as the thought finished he spotted a silhouette moving through the fog. As the figure came closer he was completely shocked to see himself dressed as Tuxedo Mask. The only thing missing was the hat and mask.

The doppelgänger casually moved through the fog and came to a stop and stood a few feet from him.

"This is unusual." The suited man said calmly.

"You're the other me; the one Serena talked about." Darien stated.

The suited Darien nodded once, and Darien found himself slightly jealous. The man stood there calmly, and had nodded at him regally. He seemed more royal and comfortable with it, in that identity, then he himself did.

Darien sighed. "I don't know why we're here. I asked my crystal to help me know what you know, to basically have access to your memories, so I can better understand Serena." He explained.

"I understand." Suited Darien said as he nodded. "It seems that the golden crystal's way to fulfill your request is to allow us to meet in this dream like state instead of just flooding you with my memories randomly."

"I think we will merge so you will remember, but I'm not completely sure. The other possibility is that I take over just like what obviously happened to Serena when she came back." He continued thoughtfully.

Darian groaned unhappily. "I'll cease to exist." He said with a frown.

"Nonsense." Suited Darien stated. "We are the same person. We have the same experiences. The only thing that makes us different is when Serena helped you learn that you were Tuxedo Mask and Prince of the Earth instead of going through the weeks and months clueless like I did, and just being acquaintances instead of being in a relationship."

"How do you know we're in a relationship?" Darien asked.

"You want to better understand Serena, which means you've had significant contact with her; enough to have learned her secrets." Suited Darien said. "If you've had such contact with her that you're trying to understand her then you would be a complete fool to not have already begun a present time relationship with her; especially knowing who she is to you."

"That makes sense." Darien said as he nodded. "Actually all of what you've said makes sense." He added with a sigh, unable to help the thought of ceasing to exist.

After all, that was obviously what happened to the Serena of this time since his Serena didn't know what had been happening around her in the days before she traveled there beyond her own vague memories of that time. Regardless of what the other him said he still thought that had a possibility of happening, but he wanted Serena to be completely happy and not look sad anymore.

He took a breath and nodded to himself. "What are we supposed to do to make it happen?" He asked.

"I imagine we simply touch and allow the crystal to do what it's going to do. I trust it to do what you wanted it to do." Suited Darien said.

Darien nodded and lifted his hand up between them. Suited Darien smiled slightly and grasped the offered hand in a firm grip.

The next thing they both knew the fog converged thickly and surrounded them before the area gradually darkened until they were left standing in total darkness.

* * *

 _Shades of white and gray met his eyes and he blinked to clear his vision but nothing changed. He began to walk and as he did he sensed that the view had nothing to do with his vision, that those were the actual colors surrounding him._

 _The misty fog at knee level and obscuring nearly everything beyond his immediate area was a white gray, and the marble tiles he was walking on were a very light gray, and the sky was sometimes visible and was black when it wasn't being covered in white as if he wasn't supposed to see its true color._

 _He walked until he began to see a white wall that drew his eyes up to a large white marble balcony. The thick rounded rectangular railing was held up by numerous evenly spaced rounded decorative support beams._

 _He stood there admiring the structure when he began to hear footsteps and suddenly there was a figure standing there leaning slightly against the railing._

 _They wore a white dress and had long hair the color of moonlight that reached the floor of the balcony. Those clues let him know the person was obviously a female, and though he frustratingly couldn't see her face he sensed that she was beautiful. Then her voice reached him, soft and melodious in its tone._

 _"Please, please you must find the silver crystal; it is very important that it is found and kept safe." She said._

 _"Whose crystal is it?" He asked._

 _"It is mine." She answered. "You have to find it; you have to find me. Please find us."_

 _Before he could even think to respond the fog began to converge and cover everything._

 **~~uUu~~**

 _Darien walked down the sidewalk lost in thought about the reoccurring dream he kept having when he saw a girl come out of a store and begin to walk backward across the sidewalk._

 _His first thought was that he liked her long hair, and his second was that he could just slip pass her from behind. As he was attempting to do that he was taking in her school uniform trying to guess what school she went to. He lost himself in that brief mystery and ended up stepping right into her path instead of moving around her like he meant to._

 _She stumbled, tripping slightly on his and her own feet, but before he could help stabilize her she was already speaking and turning around._

 _"I'm so sorry! I wasn't watching where I was going." She said quickly as she turned around only to stop with a gasp as her eyes landed on him._

 _Darien watched her eyes widen and her cheeks blush, so he decided to speak to hopefully cut off any embarrassment she was feeling._

 _"Are you alright?" He asked considerately and watched as she nodded as she looked at him._

 _"Are you?" She asked and he smiled._

 _"I am." He answered in amusement._

 _"I just wanted to make sure." She said as her blush darkened; she was obviously shy._

 _"Okay." Darien said as he chuckled._

 _He watched her shift slightly where she stood and shyly look up at him, and he gazed back curious about this admittedly pretty girl._

 _"I_ _'m Serena." She said softly, and he tilted his head slightly as he gazed at her before he smiled slightly._

 _"I'm Darien; pleased to meet you." He said confidently._

 _"The pleasure is all mine." Serena said and he watched her smile brightly before she sighed. "I should get going," She said reluctantly. "but I hope to see you again sometime."_

 _Darien hummed. "I look forward to seeing you again." He said and she smiled._

 _"Bye." She said._

 _"Bye." He returned, and watched her wave and walk off._

 _He continued on his way in the opposite direction with a smile of his own._

 **~~uUu~~**

 _Darien walked down the sidewalk toward a girl standing in the middle of the sidewalk facing away from him. She had long golden hair with buns on top of her head. He was distracted wondering how much of her hair made up those buns, and how long her hair would be when it was lose, when he was hit on the head with a ball of paper._

 _It didn't hurt but he was surprised to be hit with something, to have something thrown at him he realized._

 _"Hey! Watch it meatball head." He exclaimed as he straightened out the paper. He scanned it and raised an eyebrow at the low score. "You need to study more meatball head." He added as he lowered the paper._

 _He smirked, and nearly lost it as he got a look at her big blue eyes, button nose, and blushing cheeks._

 _"Mind your own business jerk!" She said as he watched her snatch the paper out of his hand, her eyes flashing angrily._

 _She turned and stormed away, and he couldn't help smirking wider. She was pretty and feisty. He should've gotten her name._

 _He nearly laughed when she paused and looked back, only turn back around and continue on when she realized he was watching._

 **~~uUu~~**

 _"Well, is there anything else you want to tell me about the time you came from?" He asked curiously, and listened as she hummed and closed her eyes._

 _"Raye." She finally said as she opened her eyes._

 _"Sailor Mars?" He asked to be sure, and she nodded._

 _"Not long after I met Raye, almost immediately after, she saw us, me and the other you, interacting and decided she liked him. After that she was always asking after him and going up and talking to him whenever he was around me." She said._

 _"To my understanding they went on a few dates after she kept asking him out, but there was nothing official. I honestly never knew if he actually felt anything real for her, but I know that Raye had real feelings for him. I want to avoid that whole situation this time around." She explained._

 _"So what does that mean for us? What do you want?" Darien asked as he gazed at her._

 _"I want us to be together." She stated outright. "We didn't get the chance before, before I came back here. We didn't even get the chance to talk about all the revelations."_

 _"I remember us being together in the past, remember those feelings, can still feel them, but I want us to have a connection in this time as Serena and Darien. I don't want us just being together just because we were in the past." She explained._

 _Darien nodded and thought she was right. He remembered their relationship and the feelings that came along with them as well. He had loved her intensely; he remembered thinking at one time that he might have loved her more than he loved his kingdom._

 _He wanted to feel that way for Serena. He was attracted to her, and she was interesting enough to keep his attention beyond that. He just needed the affection to follow. Or at least get stronger than it currently was._

 _"Okay." He said after thinking about it for a few moments. "You were honest with me and I was trusting of you with this whole situation, so that's what our relationship will be built on. Honesty and trust. We'll trust each other, be honest, and date."_

 _"So..will you be my girlfriend?" He asked as he tilted his head slightly and watched her smile softly._

 _"Yes." She agreed easily, happily._

 **~~uUu~~**

 _Darien turned around and looked around the room to see Serena standing at the game machine moving the control furiously. He quietly walked up behind her and looked over her shoulder to see she was trying to grab one of the stuffed dolls in the metal claw._

 _"Having troubles meatball head?" He asked, and amusedly watched her jump in surprise at the sound of his voice._

 _"What are you doing here jerk?" She asked with a frown._

 _"The arcade is a public place; I can be here if I want." He replied._

 _"That's not what I meant!" She nearly snapped. "I meant why are you looking over my shoulder? Don't you have something else to do?"_

 _"Why do something else when I can just watch you and get plenty of entertainment out of it." He answered with a smirk._

 _Darien watched as the claw dropped and landed around a stuffed doll of Sailor V, but as the claws closed and lifted the doll it lifted slightly but dropped. He smiled as she cried out in dismay._

 _"Aww, are you going to cry now meatball head?" He asked, and watched as she shot him a glare._

 _"No!" She said before she pulled out a coin from her pocket and pushed it into the machine and started moving the claw again. "Why don't you go bother someone else. Isn't Raye here yet? She's always looking for your attention."_

 _"Open your eyes meatball head. Your friend isn't here, and I'm not interested in giving her attention. Especially when it's more fun to give you my attention instead." He explained and listened as she made a sound of frustration._

 _"Stop distracting me jerk." She snapped._

 _Darien snorted in amusement and watched as the claw once again failed to get the stuffed Sailor V doll._

 _"Move over." He told her as he gently pushed her out of the way, and took out a coin and pushed it into the machine. "I'll show you how it's done."_

 **~~uUu~~**

 _Darien grunted as he blocked a strong kick from Serena as they spared. They had finished their usual warm up exercises and were now in the middle of their training._

 _They punched, kicked, and blocked like they usually did when they sparred together in their martial arts classes during the last few weeks, but they were moving faster, hitting harder, nonstop. They were fighting like they were really trying to hurt each other because they knew their enemies would not go easy on them._

 _They moved around the clearing carefully spinning around each other, ducking, jumping over leg strikes, and moving back to avoid hits they couldn'_ _t block._

 _He blocked a punch then jumped back slightly as he dodged a round house kick. He grabbed her ankle and tossed it away only to jump back again to avoid the back kick from her other foot._

 _"Okay. That's enough." He called out and she stopped and relaxed. "Let's start stretching and then transform so we can continue." He added and watched her nod._

 _Darien took a few minutes to stretch his arms and legs, and then quickly transformed. He then looked to Serena and saw that she was in the middle of her transformation. He always liked watching her transformation. It was bright but it was elegant with the swirling light ribbons and her movements._

 _When she finished and looked in his direction he nodded, and watched her nod in return and take off into the trees. He smiled and took out a hand full of roses before running after her to start work on her dodging attacks as they usually did once they transformed._

 **~~uUu~~**

 _Tuxedo Mask stood on a high support beam of the skeletal frame of a building in progress as he looked down on the fight that was still in progress. It was too late for him to get the rainbow crystal, but as always he was keeping an eye on Sailor Moon. He needed to make sure she was safe and didn't get hurt._

 _Which is why he was clearly able to see when she spotted him and watch curiously as she subtly broke away from the battle and began to head toward him. He wondered why she was coming toward him._

 _He was very aware of her feelings toward him, and they were not something he was opposed to. She was very attractive after all and he strongly admired the strength of her spirit and her will to never give up, but he had to settle the issue of the princess in his dreams first._

 _He had no idea who she was to him, if she was anything to him, but he was positive she could help him find out his identity. After all, he could not pursue anything with Sailor Moon until he was positive who he truly was. Never mind that he would have to find out who she was._

 _He watched her carefully climb the structure until she reached his level and walked toward him until she stood only a few feet away from him. He watched as she pulled a somehow familiar palm sized star locket out of nowhere and looked to him shyly._

 _"I know this isn't the time or place, but it's the first time I've had the opportunity to speak to you alone." She said before she held out the locket to him. "You dropped this at the fight at the cemetery."_

 _"You keep it; I'll just end up losing it again." Tuxedo Mask said._

 _"Are you sure?" She asked and he watched her take a step forward and fumble with the locket before it fell to the beam._

 _His eyes widened as she quickly knelt down to gather it back up before it tumbled off, and he joined her and helped since the last thing he wanted was for the locket to fall from such a height and break. The very thought made his heart race for some reason._

 _"I_ _'m sure." He said quietly as he covered her hands around the locket._

 _He watched as she lifted her head and looked up at him and nodded with a shy smile, her big blue eyes practically sparkling at him. In that moment he was strongly tempted to kiss her, and worry about his identity another day._

 **~~uUu~~**

 _Tuxedo Mask stood next to a large shipping container, concealing himself in its shadow, as he stared up at the scout hanging by her hands high in the air by a crane from a rope. He took a quick breath and ran before he leapt up with slight aid from a container, and cut her down before safely bringing her back to solid ground._

 _He knew that although the scout looked like Sailor Moon she wasn't in fact Sailor Moon. He was certain. Her eyes were wrong, the color of her outfit was wrong, and the weapon she used was wrong. Even her behavior and voice were wrong._

 _But he still kept his eye on her and rescued her on the very off chance that he was wrong since the young woman he was used to seeing wasn't visible at the same time as the fake. He didn't want to take a chance at being wrong and be responsible for Sailor Moon being injured or killed._

 _So he was surprised but not entirely so when the false Sailor Moon stabbed him in the back, literally, with some sharp narrow object._

 _He spun around suddenly and hit the fake, and disoriented her enough to get away and hide. It became clear in that moment that the fake was part of the enemy. They likely wanted the rainbow crystals he had. That was the only reason he could see for them to use Sailor Moon's image and interact with him so much, or for why he was attacked in the first place._

 _It didn't change anything though. He wouldn't let them have the crystals. He needed those crystals. He needed answers and those crystals were part of the key; he was positive._

 **~~uUu~~**

 _"That's her!" Darien heard Serena say as she pointed toward a girl. "That's Raye."_

 _He turned his head and searched with his eyes before they landed on a girl with long black hair walking along the sidewalk. He took a long look at the girl who would possibly have a crush on him as had happened with the other him, and silently decided to stay away from her since Serena said the other him hadn't done anything to attract her attention. He wanted their relationship to be firmly settled before Raye set eyes on him._

 _"Are you going to discover her sooner then you did before?" He asked as he looked to Serena._

 _"No." She answered instantly. "I have no wish to have her around sooner than need be. Plus, I don't have a reasonable excuse. I suppose I could tell Luna and Amy that I spotted her and saw her planetary symbol and knew she was a scout. That would get them investigating, and she could be officially discovered that way. I don't know." She said with a sigh._

 _"Actually I_ could _do that, but I still need time." She added after a few quiet moments. "My last memories of Raye are of her thinking the other you, Tuxedo you, was an enemy, and not caring about my obvious grief."_

 _"On top of that I'm going to be hyper aware when Raye meets you, because I have memories of her liking you and her behavior changed toward me at that point. I'm going to need some more time to try and push those memories and those feelings away, and that doesn't even include her behavior toward me as a scout." She explained._

 _"I understand." Darien said. "I'm not looking to meet her, let alone as your boyfriend, anytime soon, but I think you should try to remember that this Raye hasn't done anything yet and that your attitude toward her this time could set the tone for what will happen with her."_

 _She nodded and sighed heavily. "I'll remember that." She said._

 **~~uUu~~**

 _Darien calmly walked through an art gallery with Raye hugging his arm, practically hanging off him, during what he could barely call a date. He was enjoying the art but wished he was with different company. She clearly wasn't interested and it didn't take a genius to figure out she was faking interest._

 _He couldn't wait until she finally came to the realization that nothing would happen between them. It would save him a lot of time; time he could be using for other more important things, and it would save him from having to deal with an angry meatball head because he hurt her friend._

 _If Raye came to the conclusion that they had nothing in common on her own then he wouldn't have to reject her and risk hurting her feelings. He didn't want meatball head on his case. Her energy could be better spent eating or playing her games._

 _Darien held in a sigh and paused as he gazed at what looked like a painted portrait of a woman with long white blonde hair in a white dress. It reminded him of his dream of the princess, and he stared intently at the portrait to see if it would loosen a memory or suddenly give him a clue as to what direction he should go to find her besides gathering the rainbow crystals._

 _Instead what came to mind was a brief image of what meatball head would look like in the same white dress. It surprised him but he found himself admiring the view in his imagination for longer then he would admit; even to himself._

 **~~uUu~~**

 _Darien glanced over at Serena as they sat side by side on the floor in their taekwondo class. They were next to a wall stretching with their classmates all around doing the same before they began their warm up exercises._

 _They proceeded to do sit ups, push-ups, and began to jog in place then run in place once they finished those. Once everyone had finished they were instructed to go through their stances, and the two of them along with everyone else proceeded to run through their stances, kicks, and blocks like a routine drill at their instructors command._

 _After fifteen minutes they stopped and stretched their legs out before they were instructed to put on their protective gear, and grab hand paddles so they could practice various kicks._

 _"Are you ready for this?" Darien asked Serena as he helped tighten the buckles of her red and white chest protector._

 _"Yes." She answered as she carefully put on her head protector, squeezing her buns into it. "What about you?" She asked as she held his blue and white helmet._

 _"I_ _'m definitely ready." He answered as he finished putting on his chest protector. "Do you want to go first?" He asked as he put on his helmet, and watched her nod before she handed him the two hand paddles._

 _They moved to an empty section of the room and he watched Serena get into a ready position before he held the paddle in one hand near the height of his shoulders. He smiled slightly as she shifted and snapped her leg up and kicked the top of her foot against the paddle before settling back into her ready position._

 _He held up the other paddle at the height of his waist, and she twisted and swung her leg around before she snapped her foot against the paddle and settled back in a ready position._

 _Darien nodded. "Again." He said as he held the other paddle up but at the same height so she could use her other foot._

 **~~uUu~~**

 _"Darien look! Fire!" He heard Serena say in alarm as she pointed up toward the ceiling of the elevator, and sure enough he could see fire rushing down the shaft toward them._

 _He began to breathe quickly as he watched the red orange flames come closer. They were trapped inside this altered elevator with nowhere to go. The doors were gone and even if they weren't they wouldn't be able to open them in time, and just from feeling the glass earlier he knew there would be no breaking the window wall. Their only option was to go up through the ceiling, and the fire._

 _He thought the only way to do that was to transform in front of Serena. Doing so would reveal his secret, but it was either that or stay there and get fried. The thought went through his mind rapidly, and it only took a moment before he decided he could trust her._

 _"You're going down Zoycite!" He heard suddenly, instantly distracting him, and looked over to Serena. She was frowning fiercely and staring up at the approaching flames as she raised her hand._

 _"Moon Prism Power!" She called and his eyes widened. Being who he was the words guaranteed only one logical truth._

 _Before his mind could even voice the name he had been speaking for months in address and in encouragement, she began to float off the floor and was surrounded in pink light._

 _He couldn't help but watch wide eyed as her transformation took place. His happened all at once so it had never occurred to him that hers would take place in pieces; nor that she would be naked at the time._

 _Within a few long moments her transformation finished, and Serena stood before him as Sailor Moon. She looked the same as always, the warrior he had been assisting and saving for months, but it was different now that he knew who she was._

 _"Time to get out of here." She said as she moved toward him then took off her tiara and launched it at the ceiling._

 **~~uUu~~**

 _Tuxedo Mask stood with Sailor Moon on the deck surrounded by the ship's crew. Serena had told him that they were made of water so even though they looked like regular people he knew not to hold back._

 _The minions moved toward them and he immediately kicked out at the closest one as hard as he could in its chest. It flew backward and slammed into another one and both of them burst into water on impact._

 _He wanted to check on Sailor Moon but they were coming too fast for him to risk it. He knew she could handle herself. She had faced these minions before and had been training almost since the day she got back to this time, so he just had to trust her and have faith in her abilities._

 _He backhanded another in the face and sent it flying away as it burst into water, and shoved his fist in the face of another as it came at him._

 _A few minutes later the water minions were gone and he and Sailor Moon faced the monster that had stood there and watched them fight. Her glowing red eyes brightened and she raised her arms high at her sides, and he watched as large columns of sea water rose up before they came hurtling toward them._

 _They dodged out of the way but more streams of water of various sizes came streaking toward them and they dodged like crazy. The monster had such control that the streams changed direction in midair after they dodged to continue after them._

 _Still, he continued to dodge and move around, briefly glancing around to see that Sailor Moon was doing the same, and paused as the attack finally stopped._

 _What came next was different shapes made out of water from inanimate objects to animals that actually ran after them. The monster didn't seem to want to fight them herself, which told him she was either lazy or weak._

 _He took a steady breath as he identified some of the water creatures. There were sharks, eels, and crabs interspersed with lions, tigers, and bears._

 _He took a step back as a crab the size of a large dog came scurrying at him and threw a rose at it and watched it explode in a spray of water. He shifted his eyes to his left and threw a rose at the lion coming at him before he turned his attention, not bothering to watch the water lion's demise, to the eel slithering toward him like a snake._

 _This went on for a few minutes before the creatures stopped coming. He exchanged a look with Sailor Moon and they both launched their attack on the monster since neither of them were interested in waiting to see what else she'_ _d do._

 _He watched as his roses surrounded her glowing tiara during its flight and the combined attack hit the monster before she could properly react._

 _She screamed and moments later light began to burst out of her body at various spots before she collapsed to her knees and dissolve into water right before their eyes._

 **~~uUu~~**

 _Tuxedo Mask stepped forward, prepared to fight Zoycite and hopefully gain the rainbow crystals, but more importantly to protect Sailor Moon; Serena._

 _Zoycite stood there watching him, a slight smirk on his face, and his fingers twitched slightly. Tuxedo Mask's eyes widened as he sensed a high level of danger zeroing in on Sailor Moon. He moved, running faster than he thought he could to reach her, especially as he saw a large crystal floating behind her._

 _His thoughts flashed through his mind rapidly yet in slow motion as he went through options and possible solutions. He realized in a moment that he could not stop the crystal or get her out of the way without her suffering some kind of injury._

 _So he took a steadying breath and slipped in between her and the crystal as it moved toward her back, and gasped in agony as the crystal pierced his stomach and continued until it pierced his back._

 _"No!" He barely heard Sailor Moon scream as he began to collapse, feeling incredibly weak on top of his pain. "Darien! Darien!" He heard her panicked voice call, and tried to open his eyes not even remembering when he'd closed them._

 _"Don_ _'_ _t forget I_ _'m on your side, and I always will be." He said haltingly once he managed to get his eyes open, but as the last word left his lips he closed his eyes tiredly._

 _"Please don'_ _t go, don_ _'t leave me!" He heard her beg, and he struggled to open his eyes. He had never heard Serena truly beg for anything, and he was displeased that he was hearing her do so now._

 _He couldn't believe what was happening to him. He was dying. He was too young to die, and he still had things to do. He had yet to find his princess or become a doctor, and he had just found out Serena was Sailor Moon. He wanted to find out how this revelation would change things between them._

 _He suddenly felt her lift his head before just as quickly settling him on her lap. The movement hurt but he was grateful to be so close to her. He knew she had been at his side and that he wouldn't die alone, but her touch made him feel like he wasn't alone and not just know._

 _He didn't want to die, but he knew it was happening. He wouldn't lie to himself. And he didn't regret saving Serena at his expense, but he did worry what would happen to her now that he was incapable of protecting her._

 _He knew she could protect herself but he also knew she had trouble fighting and with her movements. It was as if she had just been learning to fight since he had known her as Sailor Moon._

 _"Cosmic Moon Power!" He heard her say suddenly, startling him even though her voice was quiet. He registered a bright light behind his closed eyelids, but he couldn't tell what had happened. He had never heard her speak those words before._

 _"Darien." He heard her say softly, and it was the sad and upset tone of her voice that had him opening his weary eyes._

 _When he did he saw a sight that took his breath away. It was Serena but she looked so different. He immediately recognized her from his dreams._

 _"Princess." He breathed. All these months she had been right in front of him. "Serenity." He said as he laboriously lifted his hand and caressed her cheek._

 _He watched her intently as she held his hand to her face and closed her eyes, clearly enjoying the feel and wanting it to stay there._

 _"I remember now. I'm Endymion; Prince Endymion." He breathed out as the knowledge suddenly revealed itself to him at the sight of her._

 _He now knew who he was. He was the heir to the throne of the Earth reincarnated, and what's more he finally understood that he really was Darien Shields. There was no mistake in his identity, there was no more uncertainty that had been plaguing him since the accident that made him an orphan._

 _At least he knew for certain who he was; at least he had that assurance before he died._

 _"Endymion." He heard her say his name, and he absolutely loved it. The soft intimate sound was so sweet to his ears, and briefly soothed the pain he was in._

* * *

Darien opened his eyes and blinked slowly yet rapidly as the swirl of memories slowed, and instantly understood that he, the Darien the golden crystal had summoned, was the one who came out in control.

The other him was still there since he remembered everything that happened up until that point, so they must have merged together despite him being the one in control.

In the next moment he was reminded that his Serena, his princess, was there in that time and had been since the day they first met, which was almost two months now. He closed his eyes and began to recall their interactions after they met both as Serena and Darien and as Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask in the present.

He was proud of his princess for the actions she had taken since her arrival in that timeline. Proud and _pleased_ that she had approached him quickly and didn't wait to get their relationship started, and proud that she was taking the initiative to become a better fighter and help her Scouts become better.

He was even pleased that she had decided he was going to get his Guardian Generals back. He admittedly hadn't had much time to think about them when he remembered his past identity the first time around, but the him of this time had given them some thought.

Then again the him of this time hadn't spent months fighting them, helping to thwart their plans, and protect his princess from them.

Still, he thought having them back would be good. It would only be fair. His princess had her guardians, so why shouldn't he have his? They would certainly watch his back in a way the Sailor Scouts wouldn't, and after dealing with their suspicions toward him regardless of all the help he gave them it would feel good and ease his mind to have people trust him and protect him.

His princess had always trusted him, but she couldn't be busy watching his back, and he certainly didn't want her to; especially when she needed to watch her own back even when her Scouts were around.

Darien opened his eyes and sighed heavily as he remembered why he hadn't had time to think about his Guardian Generals. He had been severely injured protecting Sailor Moon, his princess.

Not to mention he had been busy being swarmed by memories, thoughts, and emotions of his past while trying his best to remain aware though he knew it was a losing effort with his injury.

He frowned as he found himself confused as to how he was aware of what happened after he was taken by the enemy. He knew he had passed out after speaking to Serena and establishing that they both remembered their past.

Regardless of how it happened he did in fact remember his time with the Negaverse.

* * *

 _"Princess. Serenity." He said in a painful yet awed breath as he lifted his hand and caressed her face. He was pleased that she held his hand there because he suddenly didn't have the strength to keep it there. "I remember now. I'm Endymion, Prince Endymion." He continued._

 _Darien watched her eyes snap open as she gasped, but his own eyes closed as he was unable to keep them open with the pain and weakness he was feeling._

 _"Endymion." Was the last thing he heard before he lost consciousness._

 _The next thing he knew he was blinking his eyes open and confused about where he was. Everything was dark, blacks and purples, with hard angles. He tried to figure out how he got there, and the last thing he remembered when suddenly it all came flooding back._

 _Being in the Starlight Tower, the rainbow crystals, learning that Serena was Sailor Moon, revealing that he was Tuxedo Mask, being seriously injured protecting her, the revelation that she was the princess he had been dreaming of, and that he was a prince._

' _Serena is Serenity, my Serenity. The princess that has been begging me to help her in my dreams for so long. And I'm Endymion, Prince Endymion. I was going to be king of the Earth. I loved her, Serenity, and died protecting her.' He thought as he remembered._

 _Then he suddenly recalled that he had been dying in the tower; he'd been able to feel it. He quickly brought up his hands and felt his stomach and chest, and felt no pain and saw no blood._

 _Darien didn't understand but as he looked around he began to. He turned around and saw himself lying on some type of raised platform. He walked over and saw himself lying there, breathing, but obviously unconscious._

' _I must have been taken by the Negaverse.' He thought as he stared down at himself. It was the only way he could explain his surroundings. Though he realized he didn't look injured anymore._

 _He didn't know what was going on with him though. That was very clearly him on the platform, but he was also standing right there looking at himself. How could that be?_

 _He didn't know how long he had been lost in thought looking at himself when he heard footsteps. He looked back toward the entrance and watched two people enter one after the other._

 _The first one through was a woman with long wavy bright red hair, and wore a sleeveless strapless floor length purple dress. She had narrow orange eyes, and wore a choker around her neck and a black tiara on her forehead._

 _The next person was a male with long white hair pass his shoulders and light gray eyes. He wore a dark gray uniform with light blue trimming and lining, white gloves, and a white cape with a dark blue inner lining._

 _Darien recognize_ _d them both. Malachite, the leader of his Guardian Generals, and Beryl, the woman who had apparently wanted him for herself and became corrupted by evil trying to get what she wanted._

 _Apparently the men had betrayed him in the past, and in this life all four of his generals had become his enemy. He couldn't help wondering why they had betrayed him. Had they grown unsatisfied with life in his kingdom? Had they been corrupted like Beryl? Had she been the one to do it, and it had simply carried over into their present lives? Or had she somehow found them again and corrupted them all over again in this life?_

 _He shook his head as he watched them and decided it was pointless to wonder about it since he couldn't change it, and was certainly in no condition to try even if he wanted to._

 _"He has been completely healed." Beryl said as they came to a stop in front of his prone body._

 _"Yes." Malachite answered as he nodded, knowing it was actually a question. "Just as you wanted."_

 _"Good. Now I can work with him before he awakens." Beryl said in satisfaction._

 _She raised her hands nearly above her head, and Darien watched as power came not from her hands as he expected but from what he could only guess was crevices in the walls. The purple and black energy rushed toward his body at the motion of her hands and surrounded him in an energy cocoon. He squinted and saw that he was barely visible as the energy swirled continuously around him._

 _"What exactly are you doing to him?" Malachite asked._

 _"I intend to use Prince Endymion against the Moon Princess to get the silver crystal. However, first he needs to be reconditioned to believe that he is part of the Negaverse." Beryl replied._

 _"So he'll be brainwashed to think he's on our side and always has been." He said._

 _"Yes. Then he'll get the silver crystal, and I'll have it and him. Once I have them I'll conquer the world, and rule it as its queen while he will be my king." Beryl said in a triumphant tone as if she had already gotten what she desired._

 _Malachite simply nodded at her words and said nothing as he gazed at the unconscious man._

 _"Once Endymion_ _'s reconditioning is complete I want you to watch him and keep an eye on him to make sure the conditioning works. After all, I want to make sure he won't turn on me if he begins to somehow remember the princess." She said, and he nodded._

 _"I will do as you wish." Malachite said._

 _With that confirmation they left the room leaving Darien alone gazing at his body and thinking over what he had heard._

 _Judging by his non-reaction to her words he supposed that Malachite hadn't thought he himself, along with his fellow generals, had been '_ _reconditioned_ _'. Perhaps that was because he had no reason to think so._

 _If he had been brainwashed he would believe fully that he had always been part of the Negaverse. It was even possible that he and the others had been approached and told that they were part of the Negaverse in the past, so they would have no reason to question it. They would think that was where they belonged._

 _Darien sighed heavily as he shifted his thoughts away from what might have happened to make his Guardian Generals his enemies, and turned them to what Beryl had wanted to do with him._

 _She intended to use him to fight against his princess and her Guardian Scouts, and get her silver crystal. Then she would take the crystal and try to use its power to conquer the planet, and apparently with him at her side._

 _That alone told him that even in this reincarnated life she still wanted him, and she would take him any way she could get him. Even if that meant brainwashing him so he thought his princess was his enemy, and Beryl was the one he wanted._

 _He also had no doubt that the title of king was all it would be if she got what she wanted. He would have no real power. He would simply be her spouse, and do what she told him to do._

 _Darien shook his head and began to slowly walk around the raised platform his body was on. Putting aside the consequences of what he had just heard he began to contemplate if it could even happen with him being in the condition he was currently in._

 _Could he be brainwashed if he wasn't in his body?_

 _That raised the question of what exactly he was. Was he actually his spirit, his soul, in physical form? Did that include his mind, his thoughts, and memories? If so, then that appeared to be exactly what he was._

 _And if that was really the case then it meant he couldn't be brainwashed, because he technically wasn't in his body for the dark energy to take hold of him. For that matter he doubted he could wake up if he wasn't in his body, so that put his situation in even more dire straits then he wanted to actually think about._

 _He was in enemy territory and had no idea how long he had been there. He didn't think anyone was coming for him. The only ones to know he had been taken was his princess and her Scouts._

 _He knew she would come for him if she could, but he knew she didn't have the ability. She had just got her crystal and it would take time for her to really figure out how to use it even with her memories. Plus he wouldn't want her coming alone. He doubted the Scouts would come for him since he knew the majority of them had not trusted him at the least, and at most thought of him as part of the enemy or another one entirely._

 _Darien didn't even know if they were aware of him being the prince of earth. After all, he hadn't gone through a transformation like Serena did. She might have told them depending on the circumstances after his capture, but he was jaded enough to wonder if they would have believed her._

 _In enemy territory, with no idea how long he had been there, if anyone would come for him, and the threat of being brainwashed he didn't know if he wanted to wake up back in his body._

' _But my princess is out there. Even if they can't use me against her she would still be in danger.' He thought as his mind went back to the multiple times he had saved her when the scouts around her didn't. It was clear that she needed protecting in a way her scouts were unable to at the time._

 _But now he was back to square one with his thoughts. He was outside his body and stuck in the Negaverse on top of that. What could he possibly do?!_

 _Just as he was once again looking back to his body he felt a pull, and suddenly he was streaking through walls and rocks before he found himself flying through the sky and just as suddenly into pitch black inky darkness._

* * *

Darien blinked away the memory and sat up. The other him recalled sitting up when he started, so he must have collapsed while experiencing the mix of memories.

He felt a warm pulse inside him, and he put a hand on his chest knowing it was his crystal. He breathed deeply and thoughtfully considered that his golden crystal must have allowed him to be aware of what was happening to him while in the Negaverse.

 _It must have also been responsible for why I suddenly found myself floating in black nothingness before I was summoned to speak and merge with the other me_. He thought as he idly ran his fingers through his hair.

He hadn't been afraid in that nothingness. He had felt comfort and warmth, and a sense that he should relax and rest.

 _Was that a result of Serena leaving for the past?_ He wondered. Did that mean the timeline they had been in had ceased to exist? Had he been rescued from it because his crystal knew he was going to be needed?

He didn't know and didn't particularly care. What he cared about was that he was in the same time as his princess, she needed him, and he was certainly going to be there for her and help make their lives together in this time the best they could be.

 **~~uUuUu~~**

Serena walked into the park, already in her workout clothes as usual, and saw Darien stretching in the grass. She placed her bags on a bench next to his before she joined him.

"Hi." She said softly, and he smiled in reply.

She noticed him watching her, but didn't think anything of it since he did that sometimes. She watched him sometimes as well, especially when she remembered the other him being so injured and needed to remind herself that she was with him and he was perfectly fine.

They stretched in silence, Darien continuing on to keep her company, and when Serena finished they began to jog their way around the area before speeding up into a run to proceed with their laps.

Darien, having a wider stride because of his longer legs, pulled ahead. He didn't worry about that since it had been established early on that they would go at their own pace to avoid hurting or hindering themselves trying to keep up with each other. This was to help them get better after all.

As he ran Darien decided to take the time to try and figure out how to let his princess know he was there.

His heart had raced when he saw her approaching, looking casual with her long golden blonde hair swaying behind her. He had only seen her out of her school uniform a few brief times, and when he did see her he did his best to hide that he liked what he saw.

After all, she was younger than him, immature, seemingly brought out the worst in him, thought he was a jerk, he had a dream princess to find, and later found himself attracted to Sailor Moon.

He had no idea when his feelings began to change, but he had noticed that every time he saw her he had to say something. Didn't matter what, he just felt compelled to not let an instance go by where he had a chance to speak to her.

Then he realized that she didn't bring out the worst in him, but she made him socialize more than he ever had without any effort. And her immaturity was just a function of her age and his life shaping him into something far too mature for his age.

With those feelings surfacing he realized he had a very troubling problem. He had become attracted to Serena, begun to suspect he had some kind of connection to the princess he was trying to find for her to be sending him dreams, and once he realized he was Tuxedo Mask he found that he was very attracted to Sailor Moon.

As brief as his time had been with her after he got hurt he had been beyond pleased to learn that all three women were one in the same. It was just his bad luck that he had been fatally wounded and then captured on top of that.

But now he was healthy, free, and back with his princess. He had the chance to make sure she understood exactly what he felt for her and how long he had felt it. He had the chance to do what they hadn't been able to do in the past. Make the world, and perhaps the universe at some point, know she was his.

However, before he could do that he had to let her know he was there, and make sure she understood that she was his before the world at large knew.

 _But what can I do? Should I say something that only I would know, and the other Darien wouldn't? But what can I say? She told the other me all about our interactions. Anything I can tell her she wouldn't know because she wasn't directly involved though she had been in the area_. He considered, humming thoughtfully as he continued to run.

Maybe he could give her something. Had he given her anything last time? He frowned and then his eyes widened as he realized that he had given her something.

It had happened before he knew he was Tuxedo Mask but he had insisted she keep it when she tried to give it back after he found out he was the masked man, so he had technically given it to her.

Darien nodded to himself and decided to do it after they finished their laps.

Minutes passed and Serena eventually finished running her current set number of laps before she slowed and did a final jogging lap to help cool herself down. Once she finished she stopped near Darien and began to do some light stretching since she desperately wanted to avoid any unexpected cramps.

As she stood up straight from her stretches she stepped over toward the bench where their bags sat, ready to grab her things and move to a more secluded area for their spar, but paused as Darien's arm wrapped around her waist.

"I believe this belongs to you." Darien said as he held up a familiar locket.

Serena gasped in surprise. "To me?" She said in confusion as she lifted her hands and carefully took the golden star locket into her palms.

She remembered the last time she saw it, listening to its melody to help sooth her grief, the night she fell asleep and unexpectedly returned to that time. How the sight of it reminded her of Tuxedo Mask, of Darien, of her prince and how much he meant to her. It reminded her of the connection they shared.

"Yes. After all, I already gave it to you." He said then waited, resting a hand lightly on her shoulder.

Serena frowned. _He didn't give this to me; I didn't even tell him about the locket_. She thought in confusion, and then her eyes widened in sudden understanding and she gasped as she looked up to him over her shoulder.

"Darien? My jerk?" She said.

"Yes meatball head; I'm here." Darien confirmed.

Serena breathed in a sharp breath at his words and turned around and hugged him tightly as tears began to trail from her eyes. One hand clutching the locket yet still around his back, and the other clutching his shirt. All her feelings of sadness, grief, and anger over his capture returning in a wild rush.

Darien held her just as tightly, feeling upset and none too pleased that she was forced to feel the way she was.

" _How_? How are you here?" She asked in a breathless tone.

"The other Darien used his crystal to try and gain my memories to help better understand you, and the crystal responded by bringing the two of us together. We spoke about what was happening, and the possible outcomes before we agreed to trust the crystal. We ended up merging together, but I'm the one that came out in control when I woke up." Darien explained.

"Wow." Serena said as she looked up and gazed at him. He looked the same as always, but knowing her Darien was now there made all the difference.

Darien smiled his small smile as he gazed back at her before he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. The other Darien may have experienced kissing Serena but he hadn't, and he wasn't going to waste any time fixing that.

Serena hummed as she parted her lips and felt his tongue slip pass her lips to deepen their kiss. It was completely different than her first kiss with the other Darien when she was helping him remember who he was.

This one was more passionate than the other, and that was saying something since she thought the first one was pretty passionate. There was just more feeling, more _emotion_ , this time. And the way he held her so close made her emotions all the stronger. It made her feel desired and cherished.

As the kiss ended Serena hugged him tighter and buried her face into his chest.

"We should move to a different area." Darien suggested as he returned her hug.

Serena nodded and they parted and grabbed their things, and walked to the secluded area where they usually sparred. They put their things on the ground and sat in the grass where they continued talking so they wouldn't be heard.

"I'm so glad you're here." She said.

"Me too." Darien agreed.

"I don't know what to say." Serena said after a few speechless moments. "I've learned everything from the other you during the months I've been back." She said as she gazed at him thoughtfully, then she suddenly remembered something from the night she helped the other him remember who he was.

"Oh. I've got something. How did you become Tuxedo Mask? How long was it before you knew you were the masked man?" She asked curiously. "I was surprised when I approached the other you after the first fight, at the jewelry store, and he didn't know he was Darien. It was like he was a completely different person." She explained.

"I'm not entirely sure, but I believe I became Tuxedo Mask the same day you became Sailor Moon. There's nothing even remotely similar in my memory before that first fight at the jewelry store." Darien answered.

"From that day, or rather that night, I didn't know I was that masked man. However, I began to grow suspicious about being Tuxedo Mask around the time the rainbow crystals came into play. I was only absolutely sure when I got the crystal that day at the cemetery when the priest was changed into a monster." He explained.

"After I got away and to a safe location the crystal changed me from Tuxedo Mask back into myself." He finished.

Serena nodded with a sound of understanding. She figured the rainbow crystal did for him what her silver crystal did for her when it revealed her as the princess.

"I'm so glad and proud that you didn't wait to approach the other me and reveal yourself." Darien said after a short silence.

"I decided immediately, once I realized I had traveled back in time, that I didn't want to wait for things to gradually happen between us. I wanted things to be different, for us to be together, and for us to make decisions together." She said, and he nodded.

"I saw that from the memories of the other me. You told him everything that happened that you knew of." He said. "Now that I'm here I can compare it to my experiences, and I've found that it's nice to have both sides and understand better."

Serena's eyes brightened as she realized she could do that too, and wasted no time asking him to tell her his side of things from the first fight at the jewelry store onward.

She listened as he described every fight and attack they had been in together, even ones where she had thought he hadn't shown up. He'd wait in the shadows to save her so the enemy couldn't stop him from getting to her. But if she needed help in the fight he was right there with her regardless of the possible interference.

"As more scouts began to join you I would wait in the shadows to see if I was needed, so even if I didn't participate in a fight I was still there keeping watch over you and taking in what was happening." He explained.

He didn't mention the rainbow crystals but Serena didn't exactly expect him to since he had already told her back in the elevator in the Starlight Tower.

Darien continued on describing his point of view of their encounters as civilians. He had felt like he always had to say something to her whenever he saw her. It didn't matter what, as long as he said something and made his presence known to her.

"I don't know when my feelings for you started but I started to understand them when I felt myself compelled to speak to you and noticed how beautiful you were. It was even a treat to me when I saw you dressed in something other than your school uniform." He said.

"Once I did understand my feelings I realized I had a problem. I was dreaming of a princess I needed to find, I was very attracted to Sailor Moon, and then I realized I had feelings for you." He explained. "In the brief time I was conscious after you were revealed as the princess I was very pleased to realize all three women were the same person."

Serena stared wide eyed in awe as she listened to Darien. He had liked all three versions of her. Well he didn't say he liked the princess, only that he needed to find her, but still. She never suspected he liked her as just plain Serena; especially with him dating Raye.

At that thought she frowned. The other Darien hadn't met Raye but this Darien had, and had been dating her or at least gone on a couple of dates with her. Serena knew how she felt about him, and she believed what he said just now, but what about Raye?

"What about Raye?" She repeated the question out loud. "You were dating her." She added and he shook his head.

"For the record I never had feelings for Raye." Darien said firmly. "I went on those dates hoping she would see I was uninterested in her, and that we had nothing in common. I thought that was better than outright rejecting her and hurting her, because I thought that might in turn hurt you as her friend."

"The other me had planned on staying away from Raye to avoid her feelings developing, and I still don't plan on seeing her face to face as just Darien anytime soon, but if I do I'll have no problem letting her know that I'm happily taken." He assured her, and watched her blush and nod.

He knew that she and the other him had started a relationship but, being as objective as he could be with her being his princess, to him it didn't seem to be as strong as it could've been from the memories he had seen; it was stilted. The other him hadn't done all he could, and he knew Serena well enough to know that she had been holding back as well.

That would be changing. He wasn't going to hold back. He didn't have to worry about finding dream princesses anymore, having feelings for a secret heroine whose identity he didn't know, or trying to convince himself that he shouldn't like Serena from what he thought was a list of bad habits and undesirable traits.

None of that mattered anymore. She was his meatball head, his moon warrior, his princess. And he would make sure she felt that knowledge to the depths of her soul.

As he looked at her he didn't think she would be holding back anymore. She certainly hadn't held back once she realized he was there. Neither in her emotions or actions.

"We don't have time for our training since we spent so much time talking." He said as he took one of her streams of hair into his hand and let it slide through his fingers.

Serena nodded as she watched his fingers in her hair. "That's okay. We can afford one day off from our training; this conversation was definitely worth it." She said, and he nodded.

"We should head to the dojo for our first class." Darien said.

Serena nodded and they grabbed their things as they stood up, and he guided her away from the area and to his car.

 **~~uUuUu~~**

A few days had passed since the revelation that Darien had merged with the Darien of the present time and joined Serena in the past. Beyond that everything was the same for the most part.

They stuck to their after school training schedule since neither of them saw any reason to change it. Darien especially was fine with the way they spent their days. Not only did it allow him to spend every weekday with his princess, it reassured him that she was getting stronger.

During this time Serena told Darien how things were going with the girls this time around. They were becoming better friends and better fighters since they were exercising and training together.

Things were especially going well between her and Raye. Her having a more mature attitude and way of speaking had completely changed the way Raye spoke to her and behaved with her.

Raye now respected her and didn't call her out of her name or act superior to her. It was as if her whole attitude or personality changed. It still bothered Serena that her acting and speaking differently had such a strong effect on the way Raye acted toward her, but she was getting over it and accepting it for what it was.

Beyond that they were all working well together as scouts and acting like warriors instead of a couple of school girls trying to be warriors. The only problem that was starting to reveal itself was Luna.

She had started mentioning that Tuxedo Mask could be an enemy since they didn't know what his motives were and why he kept showing up at fights. She'd also mentioned how he had mentioned the silver crystal at the first fight, and how she remembered that it could help find the Moon Princess, so it made him a threat.

"How did you respond to that?" Darien asked as they sat together on the couch in his living room Saturday afternoon.

"I told her that for all we knew you could be thinking the same about us, but that you were still helping us, and that we also didn't know if you were even still looking for the crystal or had already found it." Serena answered.

"Then I asked her if she remembered what the princess looked like since she had remembered that piece of info about the crystal." She added, and he chuckled in amusement.

"What did she say?" Darien asked.

"She said she didn't remember." She answered as she shook her head in exasperation. "Then I asked her if she recalled anyone else from the past, and pointed out that Tuxedo Mask could've been in the past and she just didn't remember."

"That statement got Amy and Raye to stop and think since they had been growing cautious of your..his appearances, and Luna reluctantly admitted that my words were true and that she didn't remember anyone from the past so it was possible." She said, and he shook his head.

"Things would be a lot easier if they remembered, but things would be harder for us right now if they did." Darien said with a sigh. "It still irritates me that that cat is seeing me as an enemy for no reason, and seems reluctant to even admit that she could be wrong. But I'm glad the girls are thinking of the possibility that I was in the past with them."

"Me too." She agreed. "As a result of that change of mind Amy wants to question you to see if you have any answers to their questions."

"Thanks for the heads up. I'll be ready if she tries to question me before I can leave a scene." He said and then frowned. "It seems Luna doesn't really know anything. It seems all she knows is she had to awaken the Sailor Scouts and nothing else." He added and she nodded.

"It's frustrating even though I already have the answers. I've been questioning Luna from day one and it's always 'I don't remember' or 'I don't remember yet' or 'I don't know'. To me it seems Luna expects us to listen to everything she says and take it to heart without question, and know what to do without any actual guidance from her. At least when it comes to our abilities. She just expects us to go off instinct and know." Serena said.

"Now that I'm thinking about it I think that's part of why we, the Scouts, didn't function as well as we are now out during fights or when we were just having meetings." She added thoughtfully. "I'm being firm with Luna now, thinking for myself, and questioning her and making reasonable arguments."

Darien nodded. "Of course you can do that this time because you have the information already, but I think the questions and reasonable arguments themselves would have made a difference." He said.

"It seems last time that hadn't been done and as a result all the girls listened to what Luna said without really thinking about it, and ended up thinking the same thing; that I was an enemy, despite you arguing my case." He added.

"I wonder if things will get worse with her." He said thoughtfully. "Have you noticed anything different from last time in regards to Luna?" He asked.

"Well, she didn't like that I left her behind when I came here with the other you to have our conversation after I revealed myself to him. She didn't like me being alone with him; a stranger as far as she was concerned." Serena said as she remembered back.

"I didn't like the tone she used with me when I finally got back home that day. It was that 'where have you been?!' parental tone; as if she had the right to know." She said with a huff. "Those are the only things that have stuck out to me. If there's anything more I haven't seen it or Luna is keeping it to herself."

Darien nodded and they sat in silence for a while after that as he idly played with a stream of her hair.

"I think it's time we get your silver crystal; before we do anything else." He said. Not only did he want her to feel as complete as he did, but he wanted her to have it in case she truly needed it and definitely before anyone else really tried to get it.

Never mind that she was going to need it to help free his generals from the Negaverse. He was just determined she have it before anything else happened, and that included the next fight with a monster.

"It would be more than nice to have, and like you said before anyone else tries to get it. Luna has mentioned it and obviously wanted us to find it to help find the princess, but right now I've got us focused on finding all the scouts." Serena said, and he nodded.

"That's something else I'm proud of you for. That you're getting your Scouts together, and sooner than last time from the looks of it." Darien said admiringly, and Serena smiled.

"I didn't see a need to wait. The first opportunity I got I clued Luna in to each girl. I also wanted to awaken them in a safe way instead of having it happen during a fight like before." She said.

"I was only hesitant about Raye because of my own feelings and memories of her from the first time around, but the other you reminded me that this Raye hadn't done anything and my behavior and attitude toward her could affect how she acts toward me. And it was true. Things are much better with Raye." She explained.

Darien nodded. He was happy she was getting along well with her Scouts so far. Although he wondered how things would go once Raye caught sight of him. They would just have to deal with it then.

Serena sighed heavily. "Now we just have to figure out how to get my crystal. We obviously need the rainbow crystals, but how can we get them from the carriers?" She asked, and he hummed thoughtfully.

"I can use my crystal to put the holder to sleep and keep them that way, but the question is how can you get the rainbow crystal from inside them?" Darien said.

"I can use my power to get it. It's there inside me since I've been using it to fight as a scout. Plus, I remember what the rainbow crystals felt like, and can add to that what I know the silver crystal feels like to help." She said.

"I actually only need one rainbow crystal since I can use it and my power to summon the others." She added thoughtfully.

"Okay. We know what we're going to do. Now we have to decide when to do it, and which carrier to get the crystal from." Darien said.

"As soon as possible. Actually today since we're both free for the whole day and aren't expected anywhere." Serena said.

"Alright." He agreed. "It would be best to go under the cover of darkness and obviously transformed so no one will know what we're doing or who we are." He said, and she nodded in agreement.

"I don't remember any of the crystals that were easy to get to, but that could be because Zoycite always had already gotten it out of the carrier before I arrived." He added.

Serena nodded and considered all of the rainbow crystal carriers and the circumstances surrounding the crystals they held.

"The cat." She said eventually. "The overweight tomcat. If I recall right you got that crystal from Zoycite." She explained and he hummed in agreement. "The cat should be the easiest since it won't be able to talk. We just need to get it out of its house since it was pampered."

"Then we have everything set. All we have to do is wait for the right time. Until then I can think of at least one enjoyable thing to do with our time." Darien said.

"And that is?" Serena inquired.

Instead of replying Darien leaned over as he gently grasped her face and kissed her.

* * *

Later that evening once it had grown dark out Serena and Darien left his apartment building, and walked a few blocks before they found a windowless alley. They stepped in after making sure no one was around and transformed into Tuxedo Mask and Sailor Moon before they leapt onto the roof and began to head toward their destination.

Since only Serena had been to the house where the cat lived Darien followed her as they made their way through the city to a quiet neighborhood where all the houses looked very nice and expensive.

They landed on a flat section of a roof across the street from the house in question, and knelt there as they gave the house an overview. The lights were on in a downstairs window, that they guessed was the living room, and an upstairs window. Obviously someone or someone's were home and awake. They had to figure out how to get the cat out of the house without alerting the people inside.

Serena opened her mouth to suggest they look at the house from the back but paused, her eyes widening as she saw the cat they were there for casually walk out from the side of the house and begin walking down the sidewalk.

"Is that the cat?" Darien asked quietly.

"Yes." Serena confirmed. "It's known for escaping, but it usually comes back. I thought that behavior had only started around the time when we went after that rainbow crystal."

"We should take advantage of its escape, and go after it." He suggested.

Serena nodded and they subtly followed the cat, leaping from rooftop to rooftop, before they reached the end of the neighborhood and a sort of side walkway with a metal boarding railing.

Darien jumped to the ground a few feet behind the tomcat, and Serena moved to another roof further ahead before she jumped down in the cat's path. The cat paused, jumping slightly, before it turned as quickly as it could and ran almost blindly back. Darien quickly stepped out from behind a tall hedge and snatched the large cat into his arms.

It struggled but he quickly called on the power of his crystal, his mind already full of wanting the cat to sleep as his hands coated in gold light, and allowed the power to gently flow into the cat until it fell asleep.

Serena walked forward and gently placed a gloved hand on the cat as she stood in front of Darien then took a steadying breath and closed her eyes. She called on her power and recalled what the rainbow crystal felt like the first time she ever held one.

It had felt small in her hand and slightly warm to the touch and gave her a hint of familiarity. She then remembered how her silver crystal had felt; bright and warm, welcoming and powerful.

With those remembrances at the front of her mind she opened her eyes to see her hand glowing a soft white light. She concentrated first on keeping the dark creature inside the cat, feeling its dark energy trying to surface from deep within, and when she was sure it was secure she searched for the feeling of the rainbow crystal.

Within moments the familiar feeling resonated with her memory and she gently pulled the crystal up and out of the cat. The crystal surfaced slowly, its purple shade twinkling as it glowed, and she grasped it with her free hand before she slowly pulled her power from the feline, making sure the dark energy didn't surface.

"Here it is." Serena said quietly as she held the crystal in her hand.

Darien nodded and knelt down and placed the cat on the ground before he slowly withdrew his power and allowed the cat to wake up. Within moments the cat began to move before it opened its eyes and scrambled to its feet and ran off.

"Let's go to another area, one neither of us has spent any time at so nothing can be traced back to us if either the Scouts or the Negaverse sense what's happening." He suggested.

Serena nodded and put the rainbow crystal in her subspace pocket as they hurried away from the area, trying to think of a location that would suit their needs.

"Maybe somewhere around the Starlight Tower." She suggested.

"Okay." Darien agreed since he hadn't thought of anything, and thought that area sounded as good as any. Not to mention he didn't think either of them had been there before that fateful day where everything was revealed.

They rushed along sidewalks and through front and backyards before they got to an area where rooftops were more stable and could support their travel.

Then they leapt rooftops, balconies, light poles, and any other stable surface that would help them on their journey through the city without being down with the pedestrians and evening traffic.

It took them nearly thirty minutes running at their top speed, rushing through the city, to reach the area around the tower. They ended up stopping at a slight park area not far from the tower, but off the path and away from anyone that might be out walking at that time of night.

Darien turned and looked to Serena, and she nodded as she took a steadying breath.

She took out the purple crystal from her subspace pocket and held it sandwiched between her hands as she closed her eyes. She searched again for the familiar feeling and when she found it she surprised herself by talking to it.

 _It is time; time for you and the others to come together and be one again. I am ready. I am gathering my Guardian Scouts, I and my love are finally together again, and his Guardian Generals will soon be with us as well. It is time for you to become one before our enemy truly begins to search for you._ She said softly. _Take care that the dark creatures remain buried deep within the carriers of the others_.

Nothing happened after she finished speaking to the crystal for a few moments. Then the crystal began to pulse and she opened her eyes. Light twinkled between her hands and she parted them until she was cupping the crystal. It continued to pulse rhythmically before it began to float up a few inches above their heads.

They stared at it for a few long moments before they began to look around to see what would happen next. A few minutes passed before another crystal arrived. The blue rainbow crystal flew toward them from the sky before it lowered and flew right into the purple crystal, merging with it seamlessly.

After the first one arrived the crystals began to come slowly but surely. Some came quickly, but others took long minutes to arrive. Nevertheless, each one flew toward the glowing crystal and merged with it until finally all seven had merged.

There was a bright flash as the last merged, and when they could see again the silver crystal floated in its place. Within moments the familiar Crescent Moon Wand appeared next to the crystal, and the crystal shifted through the air to hover above the wand before seating itself securely in the curve of the crescent moon.

They watched it float down until it hovered in front of Serena. She reached out and grasped it, and instantly felt a welcoming, greeting, warmth flow through her entire body before she was enveloped in a bright light.

When the light faded Darien could see that there wasn't really a difference in appearance; only a few changes. Her tiara was gone and in its place was her golden royal insignia, the crescent moon, and there were white wing-like barrettes in her hair.

Those were the only differences he saw; until she opened her eyes, and then he could see a change there. The look in those beautiful orbs let him know that she was whole now; she was complete. Just as he was when he gained access to his golden crystal.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer** **: I do not own Sailor Moon or her characters, and have no right to it except as a long time fan.**

Unexpected Restart  
Chapter Eight: Recovering Jedite

In a dark cavernous room a woman with incredibly long wavy red hair in a snug fitting deep purple dress sat in a black evil looking throne-like chair thinking of the lack of energy that had been collected since they focused their efforts in the city of Tokyo.

In the beginning they had been successful; getting good large amounts of energy, but then Sailor Moon showed up. She stopped and killed her minions. Then more sailor scouts started to appear. Sailor Mercury followed by Sailor Mars, and let's not forget that masked tuxedo wearing man.

Since then they had only been getting a trickle of energy here and there, and that only because the Scouts had yet to know about the minion doing the collecting!

Something needed to be done! Something had to happen to fix this! At present her general Jedite was in charge of operations toward collecting energy, and he had been failing because of a few little girls! This was unacceptable!

 _Jedite! Attend me!_ She mentally summoned the general, and watched as he appeared, teleporting in in the blink of an eye, and bowed to her.

"You called my Queen." Jedite said before he stood up straight, looking at her and her dark crystal ball.

"I am very disappointed in you; you and your lack of progress in collecting large amounts of energy. Not to mention not being able to eliminate the Sailor Scouts." She said in a cold form tone. "What do you have to say for yourself?" She asked.

Jedite took a slow deep breath and let it out.

"Every minion I sent out to gather energy succeeded and did well until they were found by one or more of the Sailor Scouts, and that masked man seemed to always show up to help. And they never stuck around after they killed the minion." He explained.

Queen Beryl stared at him stonily.

"This is your last chance. Either collect a sizable portion of energy or deal with those Scouts for good. If you do not do either then you are done, and I will deal with _you_ when you return." She said coldly.

Jedite closed his eyes and swallowed nervously before nodding.

"It will be done my Queen." He said before he teleported away, needing to plan his next move since it was clear his life depended on it.

 **~~uUuUu~~**

Early Sunday morning Serena, Raye, and Amy met up at the isolated park they had been using since starting their group training as usual. They were dressed in comfortable clothes they were just as comfortable working out in.

The three young women greeted each other quietly, and talked lightly of their morning and journey there as they walked further into the park before their talk turned more serious.

"Do any of you think it's frustrating that Luna doesn't really remember anything that can help us, and that she's expecting so much of us?" Raye asked suddenly. "She expects us to find the remaining scouts, find the Moon Princess, and find the silver crystal, and yet she doesn't remember what any of them look like or how many scouts there are."

Amy nodded. "I've been trying not to think about it, but I've noticed it and it's frustrating when we ask her something and all she can say is that she doesn't remember." She said.

"I've noticed it all as well, and I find it just as frustrating. Especially since she seems determined to think the worst of Tuxedo Mask when all he's done is help us." Serena said as she looked to them.

"Although I do understand Luna's point of view. He's an unknown, a mystery, and he's mentioned the silver crystal. That could make him look like an enemy." She admitted. "But just because he knew about it doesn't mean he's an enemy."

"We have no idea how widely known the crystal was in the past. Everyone could have known about it. Or he could have been close to the princess and learned of it that way and remembered it in this time. We just can't know. Not to mention I don't think it's fair to label him an enemy since he could have done the same to us and chose not to help us." She explained.

Amy and Raye nodded in agreement.

"Since you mentioned that at the last meeting I've been wanting to question him to see what he knows; especially in light of Luna's lack of memory. He could have answers to our questions." Amy admitted.

"Since he's helping us I wonder if he remembers working with us in the past or if he doesn't remember and is simply going off of instinct." Raye said, and Amy hummed thoughtfully.

"If he doesn't remember then he won't be able to answer a lot of the questions I have." She said.

"That's possible, but even if he doesn't remember he might not know he knows anything until he's asked directly. You can never know." Serena said, and Amy nodded.

Serena sighed. "I just find Luna frustrating in general. I don't like that she gives out information in vague pieces instead of giving clear explanations. It's as if she wants us to ask questions just so she can give another piece of information." She said as she stepped around a bush.

"And I've always found it strange how she found me." She added with a frown, and she really did. She hadn't had a planetary symbol blazing on her forehead for Luna to see, so how had she been identified as having any power in order to be a scout?

"What do you mean?" Raye asked before Amy could.

"Luna said each scout would be marked by their planetary symbol, but she never mentioned seeing a crescent moon on my forehead, so how did she find me? How did she know I was a scout?" Serena said.

"That _is_ strange." Amy said as she looked down thoughtfully at the grass. "I wonder if instead of seeing the symbol she sensed the power inside you."

Serena shrugged lightly. "I also don't particularly like that sometimes Luna sounds like she's trying to be my parent." She added.

"How so?" Amy asked.

"When I first met my boyfriend I left with him to go talk so we could get to know each other, but I left Luna behind since I knew she was following me. When I got home she demanded to know where I had been and why I had gone off with him and left her behind." Serena said. "That I shouldn't have left her behind, because if she wasn't there she couldn't look after me; likely to protect me."

Raye's eyebrows shot up at that last bit, and she couldn't help wondering what Luna could have possibly done to protect her.

"Then there's the fact that Luna seems to sometimes act as if she doesn't want me to have a life outside of going to school and being a scout. Every time she knows I'm going out with my boyfriend she'll question me on if I really needed to go, if I really thought I had time for a boyfriend, and what I would do if there's an attack." She explained.

"I don't think there's anything wrong with me dating someone, and I think I'm doing well managing all my responsibilities without a problem." Serena added.

Amy nodded, knowing Serena had a lot going on. School, which included homework, her after school classes, daily training, their weekend group training, a boyfriend, Scout meetings, and participating in fights when their enemy attacked.

Of course she and Raye were dealing with almost the same amount of responsibilities, but Luna wasn't speaking to them about any of it. She also found it slightly suspicious that according to Serena the only thing Luna talked about was her boyfriend, and not any of the other things she was doing outside of being a scout.

Raye just shook her head. She didn't blame Serena for her frustration with Luna, and was surprised that she liked the feline at all. Of course, it was entirely possible that she didn't like her, and just hadn't said so for her own reason.

She knew she wouldn't like someone who wasn't a parent or guardian, and lived with her, trying to act like they were. What gave Luna the right to think she could do that? She was a guide, an advisor, in terms of their positions as scouts; nothing more.

"It sounds like Luna needs to mind her own business outside of what we do as scouts." Raye said with a frown.

"I completely agree." Amy said as she nodded.

"Yes, and even then she needs to be in the background." Serena said. "It's like you said Raye, Luna's an advisor, a guide, and that's what she should stick to. She isn't out here fighting with us, and can't help even if she was."

"That's one of the reasons why I insisted on Luna not being here during our training. We need to function without her watching and commenting, because in reality she isn't going to be there." She explained.

"She's actually only been to the first fight I had after becoming Sailor Moon, and she was useless besides stating things that were of no help to me when I had a monster attacking me." She continued.

"I also insisted she not be here for our training so we could speak openly as we are now instead of keeping it all in, wondering if the others thought the same or were noticing the same things they were." She finished, and Raye nodded her understanding.

"I appreciate that. It would be awkward to know that Luna was off to the side watching and judging us. Plus, I noticed that Luna herself has never mentioned training and exercising." Raye said.

"I'd noticed that as well." Amy said as she nodded.

"That's because she hasn't. I decided after my first fight that it was necessary." Serena said. "When I asked Luna what to do when the monster was attacking me she told me to use my power, and when I asked how all she said was to use my instincts."

"I thought that was ridiculous. I was busy dodging and worried about my safety, and no weapon or instinctive power had come to me in that time. Later on in that same fight after I had managed to gain a few moments to breath without getting attacked Luna finally told me to use my tiara." She continued.

"I decided after that I wouldn't rely on Luna again, and would take matters into my own hands." She explained.

Amy and Raye listened carefully. These were details Serena hadn't mentioned about her first fight before; likely because Luna had been there for each retelling.

Hearing those details and imagining what it must have been like left them feeling like it had to have been frightening and frustrating. They were grateful that their first fight hadn't been that way.

For Amy it had been scary and she had been unprepared, but thankfully her fighting instincts from her previous life had come through. Then she had been provided training very soon after.

For Raye she had thankfully gotten training before her first fight, so although she had been scared she had been prepared; and she was even more grateful that the training continued after that.

Both young women were sure the next scout found would get the same treatment. Training right after they learned they were a scout, and hopefully before their first fight.

After the young women were sure they couldn't be seen the three secret scouts sat in the grass and began to stretch their arms and legs. Once they finished they started doing their exercises, sit ups and pushups, each of them starting with the exercise they felt comfortable with. When they each finished they started jogging laps around the area that gradually shifted into running.

As they finished running their laps they did a final lap jogging to cool down before they once again set about stretching to prevent cramps until each of them was done running and fully stretched out.

Serena stood up and Amy and Raye shared a curious questioning look before Raye shrugged and stood up, deciding she would spar with Serena first.

Amy moved back out of the way and Raye faced Serena, and immediately threw her arm up in a block as Serena swung a punch directly toward her face. She kicked out at her and Serena hopped back out of the way before she stepped forward and swung a side kick toward her right side.

Raye stepped forward, closer to Serena, avoiding the kick and swung her elbow at her face. Serena let herself fall to her side, away from the blow that was sure to loosen her teeth and rolled back to her feet.

They went at it, punching and kicking, blocking and dodging, for a few minutes straight. Suddenly Serena's hand shot forward and grabbed the end of some of Raye's hair and pulled sharply.

Raye cried out loudly in pain. "What the heck?!" She cried.

"This could happen during a fight." Serena pointed out as she let go of her hair. "We can never know what the monsters will do."

Amy watched wide eyed and was suddenly glad for her short hair.

"Your short hair won't save you!" Serena called out like she could hear her thoughts. "Me, and therefore a monster, can grab a fist full if you get too close."

Raye and Serena continued their spar, moving around the area as they dodged this way and that way, and Serena made sure to protect her hair from being pulled now that she had put the idea in their heads.

She didn't mind though since it was good practice to avoid getting her hair caught. A monster could do much more than simply pulling it and causing pain.

A few more minutes passed and they stopped, having gotten a few hits each. They stretched and rested a bit before Serena stood up and looked to Amy as she unconsciously stood in a ready position she normally took for her martial arts classes.

Amy stepped forward and stood slightly across from her in a position that would allow her to move in any direction quickly. They stared at each other as Raye sat in the grass out of range and watched, and suddenly Amy shot forward and snapped a front kick at Serena unexpectedly.

Serena responded by kicking her foot sideways inward to block Amy's kick and knock her off balance, then she twisted and planted her foot and spun a back kick at her side.

Amy blocked with her forearm and stepped forward and threw a punch toward her face. Instead of blocking Serena ducked under it and thrust both her fists against her chest just under her collarbones.

Amy stepped back and Serena swung another sideways kick that caught her in the side this time, and Amy let herself fall to the side and into a cartwheel before she was back on her feet and ready for whatever was next.

Serena ran at her and they immediately started throwing and blocking punches, and blocking and dodging kicks for a few long minutes before Serena called a stop.

They both instantly dropped themselves to the ground resting a bit before they slowly started to stretch their arms, legs, and back, and massaging and rubbing the bits that stung and ached from taking and blocking hits.

After a few quiet restful minutes Amy got to her feet and looked to Raye. Raye got up and moved toward her as Serena got up and took Raye's spot in the grass at a distance to watch them.

She watched as they easily began to fight, one punching and the other kicking. They were trading blows as fiercely as they had with her, but she noticed that Amy was blocking and dodging more than she was hitting. However, she was still hitting and hitting hard, so Serena was willing to ignore it since it appeared to be part of her fighting style.

Beyond that they were doing well to her slightly trained eye, and according to how she wanted her Scouts to be. Raye and Amy were working well together, and all three of them were working well together and getting along.

She thought they were all closer than they had been the first time as well; as scouts and as friends, and she was confident that when Lita joined the group that would not change and she would easily assimilate into the group.

After nearly ten minutes Amy and Raye stopped sparing, and once they finished resting and stretching Serena stood up.

"We should transform and work with our powers." She said, and Amy and Raye nodded as they got back to their feet.

Raye and Amy pulled out their transformation pens from their subspace pocket while Serena pulled out her brooch from her subspace pocket.

"Moon Prism Power!" Serena said firmly.

"Mars Power!" Raye said strongly.

"Mercury Power!" Amy said calmly.

They were all briefly surrounded in pink, red, and blue light before it cleared leaving them standing as Sailor Moon, Sailor Mars, and Sailor Mercury. They nodded to each other and separated.

Raye stepped off to the side, away from the others to put space between them, and stood facing some trees. She lifted her hands and focused on her power; feeling the now familiar warmth.

 _Mars Fire Ignite_. She called in her mind, and watched as a ball of fire flew out of her fingertips and smashed against a tree.

She launched it again immediately after, and narrowed her eyes as she silently commanded the burning ball to move to her left. She watched it swerve gracefully and further commanded it around the tree it was now headed for and watched as it did just that.

She nodded to herself and continued to guide the ball of fire around before she crashed it into the ground.

Raye then decided to work on making her fireballs hotter and lowering their heat. It was something she had managed during one of her solo training sessions and she wanted to work on it further.

Amy stepped back away from the others as she turned around to face away from them, and focused on her power as she lifted her hands.

 _Mercury Bubbles Blast_. She said internally, and blue clear bubbles spewed from her hands until a large area around her was surrounded in fog.

She immediately focused on the cool feel and began to gradually lessen it until it was gone. She repeated the defense over and over lifting the fog faster and faster each time. She then focused on making her fog denser.

 _Mercury Bubbles Blast_. She said once again, and her bubbles streamed out and quickly produced a fog, but as she was doing that she focused on adding more power and wanting her fog to be thicker.

She watched in satisfaction as her fog grew denser to the point where the grass and trees around her were no longer visible. She nodded to herself and began to lift the fog so she could do it all over again.

Serena moved away from the others after she had watched Amy and Raye move off to their own sides. As she pulled off her tiara she considered working a little with her crystal, but decided against it in case the girls could sense it with them being close by.

So instead of doing that she charged up her tiara and decided to practice her healing dust since she actually hadn't practiced it at all, being more focused on the weapon aspect of her tiara.

 _Moon Tiara Stardust_. She said internally, and focused on guiding it in a circle around a tree and watched the sparkling dust fall. Her tiara came back to her and she caught it and launched it again saying Moon Tiara Stardust in her mind, and this time guided it around multiple trees as if she was following something as the sparkling dust fell.

She returned it to her after a few moments and decided to work on her Moon Tiara Action attack and once again controlling its movements.

The three young women continued to work on their individual abilities, trying to perfect their use, before they moved on to work on combining their powers; something they had recently begun working on.

Amy combined her bubble fog with Serena's healing dust to avoid the dust being seen, and Serena combined her tiara attack with Raye's fireball to make a fiery tiara that could do some serious damage.

They practiced the combinations while standing next to each other then began to move away from each other, so they would get used to doing the combinations from a distance and while separated.

After Serena and Raye performed one more fiery tiara combination Serena called Raye and Amy over to her.

"I want to work on our dodging; considering our powers I think we could use my tiara and Raye's fireball with both attacks on low power." She said as she looked from one to the other, and Amy and Raye agreed.

"I'll use my tiara first. If you get tagged then you'll know you need to work on your dodging." She added.

Amy and Raye shared a look, and Amy shrugged lightly.

"Here's to not getting hit." Raye said before she turned and began to move away a short distance.

Serena removed her tiara and easily charged it as she watched Amy begin to move away. She blinked and launched her tiara at her back; already feeling her connection to it and ready to direct its movements.

"Look out!" Raye called out to Amy, and the blue scout darted off to her side and searched for the glowing disk so she knew where to move next.

The tiara turned sharply and followed her, and Amy quickly began to dodge as the disk followed her; diving and zooming toward her. Suddenly the glowing disk turned sharply and headed for Raye. She sucked in a sharp breath and immediately began to run, looking over her shoulder to see where the weapon was.

She moved around trees but the tiara still kept on her trail. As she moved back into the clearing she ran in a zigzag pattern, and looked over her shoulder only to suddenly drop to the ground as she saw the tiara headed for her face. She looked back up and saw it was now headed for Amy.

This went on for a few minutes before Serena stopped.

"It's your turn Raye; proceed however you want." She called.

Raye and Serena switched places and Raye briefly focused on her power and making sure her fire would come out low powered before she quickly launched a fireball directly at Amy and then another at Serena.

She decided she would just shoot out her fireballs instead of guiding them around; especially since she didn't have to worry about anything catching fire.

Fireballs were flying everywhere and Serena and Amy were dodging like crazy and getting a workout at the same time. They were even pushing and pulling each other out of the way to avoid being even slightly touched by the fire.

As far as Serena was concerned this was much more affective then her tiara since there were multiple fireballs coming at them. She could guide her tiara after them, but she had to focus on one of them at a time which meant one of them would be on the sidelines watching.

After ten straight minutes of this they stopped and decided to switch things up for their remaining time. Amy began to use her bubble fog to block visibility while Serena and Raye took turns attacking each other with their low powered attacks while they tried to dodge.

 **~~uUuUu~~**

Molly sat in a booth next to the window at the Crown arcade as she waited for Serena so they could hangout this afternoon. It was turning into a nice day and she considered what they could do with their time, but her thoughts strayed to her friendship in general with her absent friend.

Over the last few months she could confidently say that their friendship had gotten stronger despite her best friend gaining new friends.

She appreciated that; that their friendship didn't fade into the background. She did not want to lose her best friend to new comers no matter how much she got along with Amy. She had Melvin and the other girls as friends, but Serena was her best friend. They had more in common and just clicked well together.

She and Serena always made time to spend together. Hanging out during the weekends, like they planned to do that very day, and sometimes after Serena's after school classes. They would occasionally window shop, hangout at the arcade, or mostly go somewhere and study and do their homework.

Still, with all the time they spent together it was not hard to notice the differences in her best friend and the strange occurrences.

The differences were nothing unusual. To her it was just her best friend doing better in school and having a more accomplished life. She was arriving to school on time, participating in class, doing well on tests, she was doing her homework, taking after school classes, and had gotten herself a slightly older boyfriend.

The strange occurrences, however, were another matter entirely. There was nothing strange about Serena wanting to learn gymnastics, but she was also taking two martial arts classes.

She didn't think there was anything wrong with wanting to try something new and different, but suddenly wanting to learn how to defend herself was unexpected considering she had never mentioned it in all the time they had known each other.

Then there was that time some of their fellow classmates brought their pet gerbils to school. That wasn't Serena's fault and she herself didn't have one, but unlike everyone else, Molly included, she hadn't been at all interested or tempted to go see or get one. She had been the only one to question why the animals had been brought to school, which had snapped herself out of the lure of the animals at the slightly disturbing answer she got.

Then there was the time everyone in the city seemed to become impatient and want to do everything quick and in a hurry, and if they couldn't then it was an argument and fight that they were also upset about because it was taking away from what they wanted to do and wasting more time.

Molly remembered it starting and the hours she spent feeling the same, but she also remembered that Serena, and Amy now that she thought about it, hadn't been affected that way at all.

There was also her seemingly sudden friendship with a girl named Raye. If she remembered right she was the girl who sold them amulets the first time they had all gone to the temple together. It wasn't strange to make new friends, but the way it happened was strange to her. At the temple Serena had shown no interest in the girl and then suddenly she was hearing about her.

When did she even have time to meet the girl let alone spend time with her to become a good friend? It was just so strange and almost unexplainable.

Aside from those instances she had also seen how Serena and Amy were concerned when they began to hear how people were disappearing from an amusement park.

Molly would be the first to admit that there was nothing wrong with being concerned, but the snippets she had overheard left her feeling like her best friend and friend were trying to investigate it themselves; as if they were the police and could solve the mystery.

She hadn't been able to understand that. What could they have possibly done? Were they being serious or was it only a game to them; something interesting to help pass the time? She didn't think so, but what other explanation could there have been?

"Molly!" She heard a voice call, and blinked out of her thoughts and turned away from the window to see Serena smiling and walking toward her.

Molly smiled in return. "Hi." She said as she waved.

She decided that while she had noticed all those things she would put them in the back of her mind. She was not about to ask her friend about them, and if an explanation came someday then she would understand.

If it didn't then she would ignore it all until it couldn't be ignored anymore.

 **~~uUuUu~~**

Serena stood out on Darien's living room balcony with him that evening after having parted ways with Molly earlier in the day. She'd had a good time with Molly, but she had been happy to spend time with her prince afterward.

Now as they looked out over the city she stood leaning back against him as he stood with his arms wrapped around her talking and enjoying their time together since they knew she was going to have to leave soon. It had just gotten dark out half an hour before, and it was getting late; at least late in terms of what her parents would think.

"What do you want to do after our martial arts classes tomorrow?" Darien asked.

"I want to stay with you instead of going home." Serena answered easily. "Perhaps we can come back here, and do our homework together until I have to be home."

"I have no problem with that." He said as he squeezed her slightly. "Do you want to eat with me as well?"

"Sure. I can even call and let my parents know I'm eating with a friend, and will come home after that." She said.

"And if they ask what friend?" He said.

Instead of answering Serena's eyes widened and she gasped at what she was seeing. There, suddenly appearing large in the sky, was Jedite; all they could see was his head and shoulders, but it was definitely him. She knew it wasn't her imagination because Darien was tense and his arms had tightened around her.

"Sailor Moon. Sailor Mercury. Sailor Mars. You will come to Haneda Airport tomorrow night for a duel" Jedite demanded, his voice booming out over the city for all to hear. "or I will burn Tokyo to the ground!"

To emphasize his point, and show what he would do if they denied him, dark red orange flames appeared over the city, over the buildings, as if it was actually on fire. They heard screams, but neither Serena nor Darien reacted since it was obvious the flames weren't real.

Jedite's face smirked down at the city. "I'll be waiting Sailor Scouts." He said before he and the fire disappeared, his image dissolving, leaving a calm night sky as if it had never been there.

Serena heard her communicator going off and she pulled it out as they moved back inside the apartment.

"Serena here." She said after she pressed the button as she sat on the couch.

 _"Raye here."_ She heard her friend answer a moment later.

 _"Did you guys see what just happened?"_ Amy asked.

"Yes." Serena answered. "I had a perfect view."

 _"I was able to see it clearly from my bedroom window."_ Raye said.

 _"I analyzed the image on my minicomputer, and confirmed it was nothing but an illusion."_ Amy said.

 _"But it_ _was_ _real."_ Raye said.

"And obviously a trap." Serena added.

 _"Yes."_ Both Amy and Raye said, easily acknowledging that it was a trap.

"Even so we need to go and deal with Jedite because his threat could be very real considering what we've seen the monsters do so far." Serena said.

As she spoke she looked to Darien, who was standing across from her in front of his coffee table, and he nodded seriously. This was their chance to start retrieving his Guardian Generals.

 _"What exactly are we going to do?"_ Amy asked.

 _"We need some kind of plan."_ Raye said.

"True." Serena agreed. "His message said tomorrow night, so we'll still be able to go to school. I assume when he said night he meant sometime after it gets dark, so should we go at this time of night or later? Actually, _will_ we have to wait for later, is the question we need to answer, because of our guardians."

 _"My mother will likely be at work still, but I'm not sure."_ Amy said.

 _"My grandfather will notice if I'm not here for dinner."_ Raye said.

"My parents will notice as well; they'll also notice if I'm not there when they go to bed, so I at least will have to wait for my parents to go to sleep before I can leave." Serena said with a light sigh.

 _"It_ _'s going to be late night then; likely right before or after midnight."_ Amy said.

 _"That's probably a good thing since there'll be less people or more likely no people. It's a busy airport but he'll probably do something to make sure no one can interfere."_ Raye said.

"That's true." Serena agreed, remembering the quiet deserted airport. Looking back that had been unnatural since she knew flights were going in and out day and night every day.

"How about we meet up at the bottom of the stairs leading to Raye's home, at say midnight. If I can't make that time I'll contact you on our communicators." She said, and Raye and Amy agreed.

 _"We can travel to the subway closest to the airport to conserve energy for whatever comes afterward."_ Amy said.

 _"We should definitely be transformed."_ Raye added.

"Yes." Serena agreed wholeheartedly.

She recalled that they hadn't transformed until after they reached the airport. Jedite had likely seen and knew who they were. It was just lucky he hadn't told or been given the opportunity to tell anyone before whatever happened to him after that fight.

"Alright. So we meet up, transform, head to the subway station closest to the airport and take it there, and deal with whatever Jedite has planned." She recapped. "We can't plan for more until we're actually there and see what he'll do."

 _"Right."_ Raye said in an agreeing tone.

 _"What does Luna think?"_ Amy asked.

"I don't know. I'm not at home right now, so I'll find out when I get there." Serena said. "Although it doesn't matter. Our plans are made, and I've already decided Luna isn't coming with us. She isn't needed there, and will just distract us." She added.

 _"True."_ Raye agreed.

 _"Alright."_ Amy said.

"So we're set. We know what we're doing." Serena said.

 _"Yes."_ Amy and Raye confirmed.

"Okay." She said. "Amy I'll see you at school in the morning; Raye tomorrow night unless something comes up before then."

 _"Okay."_ Amy said.

 _"Yeah."_ Raye said.

"Serena out." She said, and ended the connection.

Serena sighed heavily as she put her communicator away, and watched as Darien came around the table and sat down next to her.

"What do you think of the plan?" She asked.

"It's sound. You're right that you can't make a plan of attack until you get there, and I also like that you're leaving Luna behind. She really would be a distraction and would certainly interfere where she isn't wanted." Darien said, and she nodded.

"Now it's time to make our own plans." He said, and she nodded again. "I remember my fight with Jedite. He got the drop on me because I didn't really know how to fight physically up close. This time that won't happen not only because of all our training together, but because I recall my past training."

"True." Serena agreed. "It's the same for me. I remember the fake police that attacked us and how I didn't know what to do. Now I'll be able to fight and handle them easily." She said, and he nodded in agreement.

"Jedite didn't attack us directly. He used those massive airplanes. I remember he used two, and I'm thinking we can have Amy and Raye handle them while I aide you with Jedite. After all, he'll be fighting to kill, and we'll be fighting to capture. We're the ones that have to be careful." She added.

"True, and I agree with your thoughts." Darien said. "It will take Amy and Raye away from our fight, so they won't see what's happening, which is exactly what we need to pull this off."

"How are you going to get there?" Serena asked, and he frowned.

"Last time I was there ahead of time because of the message, and then followed my senses to you once you transformed. This time I'll use my crystal to get there, like I used to do in the past, so Amy, Raye, and Jedite won't see me. I'll go when I sense your transformation and wait out by the planes; hidden of course." He said.

Serena nodded. It was a good idea as far as she was concerned.

"I think we should change up our routine for tomorrow." He said thoughtfully.

"How so?" She asked.

"Instead of training as we usually do we should just get in our workout and then do our homework before our classes. That way we'll conserve energy that we're going to need later." He answered.

"Okay." She agreed.

"Considering what you told the girls do you still want to continue with the plans we made for after our classes?" He asked, and she nodded.

"Yes. We can eat and rest, and finish whatever homework we haven't from earlier before I go home." Serena said.

"Okay then. We'll meet up after school as usual, workout, do our homework, and then go to our martial arts classes. After that we'll come back here, eat, and rest until it's time to take you home." Darien said, and she nodded.

"We can order something so you won't have to cook." She added.

He nodded in agreement, and they spent the rest of their time putting out food ideas and what they thought they might want to eat.

 **~~uUuUu~~**

Monday morning arrived bright and early, especially for Serena since Luna had kept her up late talking about the illusion Jedite had displayed in the sky.

Luna wanted to try and chastised her for taking the call while she was with her boyfriend; telling her that he could have heard and become suspicious and figured out who she really was.

Then she wanted to discuss what was to be done, and once she realized they had already made plans go over them to make sure they were sound, and _then_ be upset and complain when she learned that she wasn't going with them.

Luna had spent nearly an hour trying to convince her that she should come. That she needed to come to give them advice, and to watch their backs for attacks they might not see. And what if Tuxedo Mask showed up and joined in on the general's side?!

Serena sighed as she made it to school. She had not gotten nearly as much rest as she had anticipated getting when Darien brought her home, and was glad she would be able to rest later that evening.

She walked into the main building and up to her classroom where she greeted Amy, Molly, and the rest of her friends.

"How are you doing this morning?" Molly asked.

"I'm okay, but I'm tired. I was kept up late by my cat." Serena said. She glanced to Amy meaningfully, and Amy nodded in understanding. "How are you two doing? How long have you been here?"

"I only got here a few minutes before you, and thankfully I slept well despite the excitement of that message in the sky." Molly said.

"I slept well too. Although I fell asleep watching the news about the message, and I got here about twenty minutes ago." Amy replied.

Serena nodded and looked over as she began to hear what her classmates were talking about. They wanted to go to the airport and see what would happen if anything even though they believed the message had to be some kind of elaborate prank.

She shared an upset look with Amy and looked to Molly.

"What do you think about what they're saying?" She asked her, and watched as she frowned.

"I think they're being foolish to want to go out there. I don't believe the message is a prank at all, but the real deal." Molly said.

She took the call out she had heard and the following threat to the city seriously; remembering the attack she had suffered through a few months ago. That had been a very real and scary experience.

"I agree." Serena said as she nodded seriously. _Although, that's a difference from before_. She thought as she looked at her. She remembered Molly being one of the ones talking about going out to the airport.

Molly had been attacked in her mother's jewelry store in both timelines so that couldn't be it. The only difference she could see was the difference in their friendship. The first time around Luna had started in on her about distancing herself from Molly around this time and Amy and Raye had joined in soon after.

This time around she had made sure that wouldn't happen. She had made sure that Amy and Molly knew each other and got along well, Raye knew of her from her and Amy but had yet to meet her, and she had shut down Luna when she first met her with her questions, behavior, and attitude so she wouldn't even think such a thing.

 _Though that's likely because this time around Luna's focused on the fact that I have a boyfriend and my life doesn't revolve around being a scout. Apparently that's more important than getting me to pull away from my best friend_. She thought as she refrained from rolling her eyes.

Still, the difference in their friendship was the only reason she could see, and it was eye opening what a difference it made. That being closer, friendlier, and more inclusive with Molly made her take such things seriously or at least for her not to pretend to be like everyone else.

Their teacher came in just then and everyone moved to their desks, but they were all still talking about the message in the sky and wanting to go to the airport.

Serena and Amy were more than a bit distracted by it the rest of the school day understandably.

Molly, glancing to them from her seat, couldn't help noticing their distraction, and wondered about it. Why were they so worried?

* * *

That night just after 11:30 Serena looked around her darkened bedroom, ignoring Luna, and got up from her bed and headed for her balcony doors. She opened one and stepped out, shivering in her thin pajamas as she left the door partially open, before she put on some sturdy strappy sandals.

She looked around to make sure no one was looking out their window, and leapt over the railing and landed lightly on the ground then took off running.

She was cold and seriously wished she had been able to wear something else besides her pajamas, but she had to look like she was going to bed when she wished her parents goodnight.

On top of that she couldn't change because then if they somehow saw her coming back they would wonder where she went. At least in her pjs she could say she hadn't gone far, and just wanted some air.

Serena ran down sidewalk after sidewalk, turning corners, and cutting through shortcut paths before she got to the area where Raye's home and family temple was. After running a couple of more blocks she finally saw the stairs she was headed for.

She slowed as she saw Raye sitting at the bottom of the stairs and Amy standing near her. Amy wore a dark blue hooded sweater, matching sweat pants, and black shoes, and Raye wore a pair of light gray sweats, a red long sleeve shirt, and tennis shoes.

"Hey." She greeted them quietly as she reached them. "Did either of you have trouble getting away?" She asked.

"Nope." Raye said.

"Not at all." Amy replied, and Serena nodded.

"I didn't either except for Luna's glaring." She said, shaking her head as she refrained from rolling her eyes.

True to Serena's word, Luna wasn't there with them, and hadn't been pleased to be barred from going and left behind. Serena hadn't cared. They knew what they needed to do, more importantly _she_ knew what she needed to do, and Luna being there would be a distraction and an impediment.

Raye shook her head as well, and Amy just pressed her lips together.

"So let's transform." Serena said, and they nodded.

Raye stood and pulled out her transformation pen along with Amy, and Serena pulled out her transformation brooch.

"Mars Power!" Raye said.

"Mercury Power!" Amy said.

"Moon Prism Power." Serena said.

The girls were surrounded by pink, red, and blue light before it cleared to reveal the Sailor Scouts. Sailor Moon nodded to her fellow scouts before they all turned and began to run from the area.

They streaked down sidewalks before they managed to find a roof to get to. After climbing up to it they continued on their way, leaping and jumping rooftops further into the downtown business area and eventually to the edge of it to the subway station that they had agreed to use.

They walked down the stairs into the subway and found it completely deserted, and yet there was a train sitting there with the doors wide open.

The three scouts shared a look before they began to look around, and found to their unease that the place really was truly deserted. There was no one even operating the train.

Sailor Moon remembered this from before and though she had been uneasy she hadn't thought to really question it. Now however she was questioning it. How did Jedite know they were going to come to that particular station or were all the stations with trains that led to the airport deserted with an empty train waiting?

She didn't know and she had no way to find out, so there was nothing to do but go along with it.

"I have no doubt that as soon as we get on that train Jedite will know we are coming." Sailor Moon said.

"True, but he's going to find out when we get there anyway." Sailor Mars said.

"The train itself can be a trap. We could get on and the doors can close, trapping us inside, and speed out of control." Sailor Mercury said.

Sailor Moon and Sailor Mars grimaced at the mental image that produced.

"I'm positive we have enough skill to escape if our ride turns out to be heading in that direction." Sailor Moon said.

She then turned and stepped into the train and looked at the others. Mercury and Mars shared a look before Mars shrugged and they walked forward into the train.

The doors instantly closed once they were all on it and started moving. They grabbed on to poles and hand holds and settled in for the ride; waiting to either reach the airport or for a trap with the train to be sprung.

Thankfully the potential trap of the train speeding out of control and killing them never came, and ten minutes later they reached the airport station. They got off the train as soon as the doors opened and saw that it, and the airport itself in the slight distance, was just as deserted as the station they had used to board the train.

There was a bit of distance between them and the actual main building of the Haneda Airport, and there was no shuttle bus waiting for them so they decided to just run it. Idly commenting that even if there was a shuttle bus they likely would have run the rest of the way anyway.

A few quick minutes later and they were entering the building at the closest entrance. All was unnaturally quiet and dark considering what the usual activity would be. They also saw pretty quickly that there was a heavy police presence but they were all unconscious.

Their steps were loud as they moved through the building, Sailor Moon keeping a wary eye on the unconscious bodies, when suddenly the police began to wake up. Mercury made a sound of surprise and immediately activated her goggles as the three of them circled up loosely with their backs facing each other.

Within moments the police officers were attacking them, and the girls were kicking and punching them to get them off them.

"They aren't real people!" Mercury informed them after a few fraught minutes. "They're made out of clay, so they're likely under Jedite's control!" She called.

With that assurance Mars began to burn them, and Sailor Moon used her tiara to slice through them one after another.

When they finished there were no more unconscious bodies or fake police around them, and they hurried through the area and pass it deciding to get out of the building, so they would have more room to fight; whether they came across more fake police or the general himself.

Sailor Moon led the way out of the building and out onto the tarmac where they would be able to see anyone coming. It was the closest exit from where they were in the building, and she knew out on the runways was where the action would take place anyway.

They looked around as they walked, moving further away from the building, trying to spot the fake police in their dark uniforms in the night and the blond hair of the general that had demanded they come.

Instead of people they almost immediately found themselves confronted with two large white commercial airplanes. They had of course seen the planes parked and unmoving and had ignored them, but now here they were moving rapidly toward them with barely a sound.

The Scouts took off running, trying to stay ahead of the large planes and not let the wheels get to them. None of them wanted to experience being run over by an airplane.

"There he is!" Sailor Moon said, pointing up toward a slight wall in the distance, and Mars and Mercury looked as they ran and spotted the general standing on the wall laughing at them.

Something that abruptly stopped as Tuxedo Mask's figure appeared, leaping up behind him and tackling him causing the both of them to fall to the ground.

The airplanes thankfully stopped and they stopped running as well, and huffed slightly as they tried to catch their breath. Sailor Moon looked at the planes and then toward the two recovering guys.

"I'm going to go help make sure Jedite is stopped, and therefore the planes stopped, and the two of you are going to deal with a plane each." She said quickly to her fellow scouts.

Before either Mars or Mercury could mention the planes weren't moving they began to do just that, speeding toward them again. They all nodded at each other and ran in separate directions. A plane following Mars and one following Mercury, and Moon hurrying to join Tuxedo Mask as his fight moved further down the runway.

She was sure their fight wouldn't be seen by her fellow scouts since they were headed down different runways and had large airplanes blocking their view if they did happen to look.

 **~~uUu~~**

Sailor Mars ran as fast as her high heels would allow her, and was incredibly glad she had practiced doing just that during their group training and on her own. She had even taken to walking around her home during the evenings wearing high heels, much to her grandfather's bewilderment.

She glanced back and grimaced slightly as she saw that the plane was still very much speeding after her. How could she stop it? How could she stop an airplane that large? Was her fireball enough? She knew she would only be able to get one shot off before the plane was on her and she would have to dodge the front wheel at least.

 _Will my fire damage the plane permanently?_ She wondered briefly, but decided in the next moment that it didn't matter. It was either her or the plane, and she was all about staying alive and preferably injury free.

 _But my fire! Is it enough? Is it enough to stop this plane?!_ She quickly thought back to all the training she had done since she had become a scout, thought of Serena and all her words of encouragement, and thought of the faith she had in her.

Serena, _Sailor Moon_ , thought she could do it, knew she could, and was counting on her. It was one thing to say she could do it as a friend during training, but another thing altogether to trust she could do it as a scout during a dangerous situation. That made all the difference. She had been given a task, and _damn it_ she was going to complete it! Her fire _would_ work!

Mars picked up her speed, trying to gain some more distance, before she paused and turned around. Determination filled her entire being, comforting warmth followed, and the words came to her mind.

"Mars Flame Sniper!" She said, and watched as a red bow of fire appeared in her hands.

She pulled back on the fiery string and an arrow of fire appeared. She aimed as quickly as she could and released the arrow before she dashed off to the side, trying to avoid being sucked into the engine connected to the wing.

When she was clear of the wing she looked back and saw the front wheel on fire. The plane was still moving but it hadn't turned and followed her. She looked to the back wheels and quickly used her new attack to set them on fire as well.

She watched the wheels melt and the plane skid, sparks flying, on the asphalt, and after long moments the plane finally stopped. She waited breathlessly for a full minute to make sure it wasn't going to move again. When it didn't she turned and ran toward Mercury to see if she needed any help.

 **~~uUu~~**

Sailor Mercury's breath puffed out as she ran, her boots clapping against the ground, trying to figure out what she could do to stop the plane. All she had was her bubble fog and she knew that would do nothing against the large plane let alone stop it.

She had her goggles and her minicomputer, but even if she could stop and analyze the plane it would still do her no good. It was a plane under enemy control. That's it. She already knew that she needed to stop it, but the problem was, _how_ was she going to do that?

Her power was not for attacks, not for injuring and hurting, it was for concealing and hiding. It was a defensive power, and she had actually not had a problem with that until this very moment.

She didn't need to be defensive right now! She needed to be offensive, needed to attack! She had a task to do. A task that had been given to her quickly, but with confidence and not an ounce of hesitation. Sailor Moon was counting on her!

Mercury thought back to her second fight as a scout and the mistake she had made in running off after the enemy into a strange distorted area without backup or even saying anything.

Sailor Moon, Serena, had never called her out on it even if she herself had acknowledged the mistake she made. She had never treated her differently after that. She was still friendly, approachable, and kind.

Serena had still had confidence in her and didn't hesitate to continue their training and being her partner as a scout. And she wasn't going to let her down now! Not when the stakes were so high.

She needed to do what was expected of her; needed to have confidence that she could do it even if she seemingly didn't have a means to. If she didn't how could she be a partner to her fellow scouts? How could she help protect the Moon Princess when she was found?

Mercury frowned in determination and glanced back to determine the distance between herself and the plane and, seeing that it was adequate, stopped and turned to face the oncoming vehicle.

A cool moist feeling filled her body, and words drifted through her mind as she raised her hands.

"Shine Snow Illusion!" She called, and threw her hands forward and watched as a small snow storm rushed forward and blasted against the front of the airplane.

She quickly ran off to the side, ducking under the wing and attached engine, and continued a little further before she stopped and looked back.

Ice and frost covered the nose and front wheel of the plane causing the wheel to lock up. She quickly repeated the attack, freezing both of the back wheels, and watched them lock up and cause the plane to skid further along the runway before it finally slowed to a stop.

She watched it for a few more minutes to be sure it wouldn't start moving again, and nodded to herself before she turned and began to run back toward where she had last seen Sailor Moon and Mars.

 **~~uUu~~**

"Damn!" Jedite cursed as he blocked an elbow to the neck with his arm from the masked man that had been helping to make his life a misery.

He and those three scouts had been keeping him from getting energy for his Queen and she was extremely upset with him and his failure, and it was all the masked man and those scouts fault!

And now he was on his last chance. He had no idea what exactly would happen if he failed this time, but he sensed that it would not be good at all; life threatening in fact. He had to get rid of those girls and this man. His Queen hadn't said to get rid of the man, but he knew it would be a bonus if he succeeded. He _had_ to succeed!

Even with that determination Jedite was finding it hard to do. He had never faced the man in a physical or power fight, and he was having a hard time of it. He was holding his own so far, but he could barely get any breathing room they were trading blows so fast.

He didn't have any power attacks he could use to end this fight. He could make fighters out of clay that he could control to do his bidding, but he didn't have any clay to use. He couldn't just produce clay out of nothing. What could he do?!

Tuxedo Mask breathed as calmly as he could while fighting as he was. He was completely focused, had to be focused to make sure this went off the way it was supposed to. He couldn't get seriously injured or so hurt that he couldn't leave with his general, and he couldn't seriously injure or hurt him too much or he would have to deal with healing him on top of freeing him from the Negaverse.

Of course he was also worried about his princess, but he knew she could take care of herself and would join him soon. Until then he would do his best to wear Jedite down and keep him from leaving.

He swung a kick at Jedite's side, which was avoided and he tried a spinning back kick which caught the general in his stomach. He moved forward and swung a punch that struck him on the side of his face.

Jedite's head snapped to the side as he grunted in pain, and he tried to backhand the mysterious man but it was blocked. He frowned and swung his whole body into him, putting all his weight into it, and knocked the man off balance.

He then punched him straight in the face, hitting his nose, feeling the crunch of it breaking, and knocked him further back and followed that up with a hard kick to the side.

He watched in satisfaction as the mystery man stumbled and dropped to one knee, but before he could move to add another blow and possibly finish it he was kicked in the side of his head.

Jedite cried out and stumbled to the side and felt himself being kicked in the side, which caused him to lean over and attempt to keep himself from falling to the ground by planting his palms on the ground.

The next thing he knew he was being kicked in the stomach and he cried out as he fell over onto his back. He finally saw that his attacker was Sailor Moon, and he groaned and wondered what happened to the other scouts if she was here with him. He hoped they were busy with his planes and wouldn't be joining his fight.

Sailor Moon's eyes flickered between the downed general and her prince getting back to his feet. It looked like she had arrived just in time to provide some distracting help.

She stood on one side of Jedite's downed form and Tuxedo on the other side, and they both watched him get back to his feet. She could tell that he wasn't worn down nearly enough to be too distracted, exhausted, or pained to not put up a fight when they set about capturing him.

She took a quick breath and quickly stepped forward to make the first move, and swung her fist only to hit an invisible barrier.

"What?!" She said in shock, and was distracted enough to take a hard swift kick in the stomach. She grunted and stumbled back so quickly that she was unable to remain on her feet, and fell backward onto the ground.

Jedite quickly swung a backhand at Tuxedo as he caught him coming toward him out of the corner of his eye, and was blocked by an arm and he quickly tried to follow up with a punch but that was blocked as well.

Sailor Moon got back to her feet, grimacing at the pain in her stomach, and looked to the fighting pair. She moved forward, trying to stay out of Jedite's line of sight so he couldn't block her again, and kicked at the side of his leg.

He cried out in pain and she threw her body against his to make him move closer to Tuxedo. She caught herself from falling and watched her prince knee him in the face as the general fell. She grimaced but stepped forward and swung a side kick to his head knocking him to the side.

She and Tuxedo moved forward but were suddenly stopped by a barrier and blown backward. They both landed hard on their backs, but quickly got to their feet just as Jedite did the same.

They all rushed toward each other and Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask threw punches and kicks as Jedite blocked as quickly as he could to avoid getting hit. Their actions and movements had them moving in circles, backward, forward, and close to the edge where each of them had at one point nearly fallen off into the ocean.

Each time they recovered and continued to fight. All of them landing hits and ending up bruised and bloodied.

Sailor Moon was feeling in turns tired, exhilarated, and paranoid. She was crazily enjoying the fight, but knew it was just because she had gotten used to training with the girls, her prince, and the martial arts classes she was taking. Jedite had a different fighting style than she was used to, and she liked going up against it despite the situation.

But she was getting tired and worried that their fight was going on longer than it should, which wouldn't have been a problem if Mercury and Mars weren't in the area. They hadn't been interrupted so it was safe to say that they hadn't been seen, but that could change if they didn't hurry.

Suddenly she cried out as she took a booted foot to the face, and stumbled back as her hands flew up to cover her face, her nose pulsing in agony.

She cursed mentally at getting distracted by her thoughts, no matter how relevant, and decided this needed to end. If she was getting distracted and tired then Jedite had to be somewhere near that level as well.

 _But how can I capture him in a way that he won't see coming?_ She asked herself.

Sailor Moon lowered her hands from her face and looked to her prince trading blows with his general. She wondered what she could do to stop this so he could get Jedite out of there before the girls came or he somehow got away from them.

She felt a comforting warmth pulse through her and suddenly she knew what to do. She touched her tiara and she felt it come off her forehead and land on her hand as a glowing circle boomerang.

"Moon Tiara Boomerang!" She said, knowing it would grab both guys attention, and distract Jedite while giving Tuxedo the time to move away.

She threw her tiara, her mind focused on capturing Jedite, and watched as it sped toward him and enlarged before it slipped over him and shrunk down into a solid glowing band.

Sailor Moon hurried over, her eyes beginning to glow white, as she pulled power to her hands. Jedite's eyes were wide as he struggled, but she gently put her hands on the side of his head and focused on wanting him to sleep; to sleep until she woke him.

The white light sank through his skin and into his head, and within moments his eyes closed and he began to collapse. Tuxedo caught him, and she released her power and removed her tiara from the general. It stopped glowing and shrunk back down to the tiara she was used to and she put it back on.

"I'm going to take him directly to my apartment." Tuxedo said as he lifted the general into his arms, and Sailor Moon nodded.

"I'll meet you there after I reassure the girls that he's been dealt with." She said as she looked to Jedite.

"Okay. I'll heal you when you arrive." He promised.

"After we take care of Jedite." She said even as she nodded.

Tuxedo Mask shrugged and gathered his power, and focused on the living room of his apartment. He then looked to her and nodded, and she watched him disappear with Jedite in a brief golden flash.

 **~~uUu~~**

Sailor Moon sighed as she turned and ran in the direction she had last seen the girls, moaning lightly at her aching body.

 _At least I have evidence of the fight and that Jedite didn'_ _t go quietly_. She thought as she ran.

She saw Mars and Mercury running toward her and she slowed to a stop and continued walking until they reached her.

"Are you okay?" Mercury asked quickly, seeing blood coming from her nose and the side of her mouth.

"I'm fine; just a bit banged up." She said wearily.

"You look more than a bit banged up." Mars said bluntly.

"True, but I'll be better after a night of rest." She assured them. "And I'm not the only one. Tuxedo Mask looks just as bad as I feel."

Mercury's eyes widened at the reminder. "What happened to the general?" She asked.

"He's been taken care of. We won't have to worry about him ever again." Sailor Moon said.

Mars and Mercury breathed a sigh of relief, and Sailor Moon did as well. She had been careful with what she said so later on when the truth came out she could say that she had never said Jedite was dead.

"We should get out of here before people start appearing, and the airport starts working properly again." She said as she looked around.

Mercury and Mars agreed and they began to run back to the building, so they could quickly move through it, and away from the airport.

 **~~uUuUu~~**

Tuxedo Mask appeared in the living room of his apartment in front of the closed curtains of his balcony. He adjusted his hold on Jedite and began to walk toward and down his hallway and into the guest bedroom.

He placed him on the bed and adjusted his head and limbs so he at least looked comfortable, and then looked around the room and back to his unconscious general.

 _I should add a bit of security just in case Jedite can be summoned away while unconscious_. He thought with a slight nod before he focused on his golden crystal. _Secure the room so Jedite cannot leave in any way, and so his presence cannot be sensed. I want it to appear as if he is not even here to the senses_. He told his crystal.

Instantly his eyes glowed a rich gold, his body following, before golden light poured out of him and bathed the room from floor to ceiling. No corner or edge was left untouched as the light filled the room to fulfill his request.

A few minutes passed before the light dimmed and drew back into his body, leaving the walls glowing before they slowly faded. The gold faded from his eyes and he took a deep breath before he released his transformation, leaving him in a t-shirt and sweat pants.

Darien looked back to Jedite before he left the room and returned with a chair from his kitchen table. He placed it next to the side of the bed right next to the nightstand and turned on the lamp as he sat down facing the bed with a clear view of Jedite.

He sighed lightly as he looked at his general. It was slightly surreal that they had managed it. He and his princess had retrieved one of his guardian generals. It had been a hard and exhausting fight, but it had been a success.

The room was secure from Jedite being able to leave should he wake up, though he doubted it with his princess' crystal's power at work, or be remotely summoned, and now he just had to wait for Serena to arrive and they could finish what they had started.

In the meantime he needed something to do to keep himself awake. His injuries had already healed, his crystal having automatically taken care of that while it was busy securing the room, so he decided to get started on something he had been thinking about in his free time.

Serena's Scouts had communicators and transformation pens, and he thought in this modern time his Generals would need such things as well. He had decided on, and designed, bracelets for them to use to transform and rings for communication. Items that were subtle and could be seen as nothing out of the ordinary.

Darien called on the power of his crystal and began to make the rings first since he would be including one for himself. He pictured what he wanted them to look like down to the last detail from the shape, to the size, the color, and the things that would individualize each one.

He cupped his hands in front of him as if he was trying to hold something and watched as a golden light sparked to life between his hands and grew to the size of a coin. The light shun and sparkled for over three minutes before it stopped and a warm ring dropped into his palms.

He picked up the ring and held it under the light of the lamp as he twisted and turned it to make sure it was what he wanted.

It was a thick rounded ring of dark silver with four round evenly spaced gems in red, green, blue, and gray on the front of the ring; each representing the color of each of his generals. One gem was framed by a triangle, one a circle, another in an x-shape, and the last a square; each shape indented into the silver.

Darien nodded in satisfaction and placed the ring, _his_ ring, on the nightstand and once again cupped his hands in front of him and called on the power of his crystal and focused on what he wanted.

One after another he produced four rings, one for each of his generals, nearly identical to his. The same thickness, the same dark silver, and the same amount of evenly spaced round gems on the front framed by an indented shape. However, only three of the gems represented a general each, and the fourth was a gold one to represent him as their prince.

Satisfied with each ring he gathered all of them in the palms of his hands, called on his crystal's power, and focused on connecting them together and exactly how he wanted them to function.

Golden light bathed the jewelry as he made it so a call could be initiated by touching the gem representing the desired person. The rings would vibrate when they were being contacted, and the gem of the one contacting them would glow. The call would be answered by touching the glowing gem, and once the call was answered they would be able to communicate by voice only.

When his crystal's light faded away he picked up his ring and slipped it onto his left middle finger. It fit perfectly and he enjoyed the way it looked on his finger.

 _Time to test it_. He thought as he picked up the ring intended for Jedite, and touched the gold gem.

Immediately he felt his ring vibrate strongly yet silently, and watched as the blue gem began to glow subtly yet bright enough for him to notice and understand. He pressed the gem to 'answer' the call, causing it to stop glowing, and then pressed it again to end the call. Then he pressed the gold gem on Jedite's ring again to end it on that end as well.

Darien nodded to himself, satisfied that the rings worked, and placed Jedite's ring on the nightstand and placed the rest in his subspace pocket.

He looked to Jedite, seeing that he was still unconscious, and got to work on the bracelets his generals would use to transform. He called on his crystal's power once again and focused his mind on what he wanted as he held his hands in front of him yet slightly apart, as if he was measuring something for size, and watched golden light appear and shine.

A little over a minute passed before the light faded and floating between his hands was a dark gray braided leather bracelet, in a triple wrap braid, with a silver earth symbol- a circle with a cross inside, secured in the middle of the center braid.

He secured it around his wrist to see how it would look, and nodded slightly in satisfaction at his work and the fact that it looked exactly as he had imagined it to look on a wrist.

Darien put the bracelet on his lap and proceeded to make three more; one in dark red, one in dark green, and the last in dark blue. He put them all on his lap before he picked up and held Jedite's masculine looking dark blue bracelet as he inspected it and nodded in satisfaction at his work.

He then focused once again and called on his crystal's power and imbued the bracelet with the power to bring out the general in its wearer. Gold light surrounded the bracelet and sank into it causing it to glow briefly before it faded.

He took a deep breath and let it out as he looked at the bracelet; positive it would work just as he wanted it to. Then he placed it aside with Jedite's ring, and repeated the process with each of the bracelets before he gathered them up and put them safely away in his subspace pocket.

Now he was back to needing something to do to keep himself from going to sleep since making those items had taken less than twenty minutes.

 **~~uUu~~**

Sailor Moon ran along a few streets and sidewalks after parting from Mercury and Mars before she managed to make her way up to a rooftop. She ran along and leapt to the next roof and the next for a block.

She paused and looked back and sighed in relief as she saw no sight of her friends and fellow scouts. She had run along so far in the direction of her home to make sure they wouldn't see that she wasn't actually going home.

She needed to get to her prince and get Jedite healed and completely free of the Negaverse, so she could rest and get healed herself.

So she called on her silver crystal and focused on Darien's apartment, appearing inside in front of the apartment door, and disappeared from the cool rooftop and reappeared inside a warm quiet little hallway.

She ignored her aches and pains and began to walk toward the hallway leading to the rest of the apartment since no one was in the living room or kitchen. She instantly saw light coming from the guest bedroom and walked toward it. Looking inside she saw her prince sitting in a chair next to the bed and Jedite lying on the bed.

"Hey." She said, announcing herself, and he looked over with a smile that immediately shifted into a grimace.

"Yeah I've seen myself and I'm hurting, but I want to get things finished with Jedite before you help me." She said as she stepped into the room.

Darien frowned. "Then let's get started." He said as he stood up.

Pink light suddenly surrounded her and he squinted his eyes before it cleared leaving his princess wearing a purple two piece pajama set with little red flowers on it.

He moved away from the chair and stood in front of the middle of the bed, and Serena stepped around to the opposite side of the bed and stood across from him. They looked to each other and then summoned out their crystals, Serena's still attached to her Crescent Moon Wand, and began to work on the final pieces of freeing the general Jedite.

Their eyes closed and white and gold light filled the room. Serena first focused on cutting the connection between Jedite and Beryl. She knew one was there because there was some instances that she remembered of the generals seemingly responding to orders and summons she couldn't hear.

In her mind her crystal showed her the connection, which looked almost like a dark chain wrapped around his entire being but centered around his head. She guided her power to sever the chain, cutting here and there, until it began to fall away and then eradicated it so no trace remained.

Darien focused on visualizing the evil taint in his general's body, remembering the look and feel of the dark energy that had been used on his body before he'd been brought to that time, and guided his power to remove it and heal Jedite's body.

A few minutes later he sensed Serena's power join his in the task of removing the evil taint and healing. They both sensed the taint strongly around Jedite's mind, and suspected he had been brainwashed.

They continued on, flooding Jedite's body with their power, working in concert to eradicate every last particle of the evil taint. They were unaware of how little or how much time was passing they were so focused on their task. But finally they got to a point where there was no more evil taint in the entirety of his body.

With that being done Darien turned his attention toward unlocking his general's memories of the past, because he needed Jedite to remember just as he did. He needed him to remember who he, _Jedite_ , truly was. Remember who his fellow generals truly were, and how important Serenity was to his prince.

With his thoughts focused Darien simply let his crystal do the work of finding and freeing up those memories.

Serena pulled her power back and returned her crystal and wand to her subspace pocket, and watched her prince continue on with his gold light surrounding him and Jedite. Her prince looked amazing and she sighed lightly at the sight before she grimaced as she was reminded of her aching body.

She moved backward away from the bed and eased herself onto the floor so she was leaning against the wall. She wrapped her arms gently around her stomach and waited for her prince to finish.

Once Darien was sure Jedite's memories were accessible to the general he pulled his power back, and put his crystal safely away back inside him. He looked to Jedite and then toward Serena only to find her sitting on the floor leaning against the wall.

He hurried around the bed and knelt next to her, and his hands were immediately coated with the golden healing light of his crystal.

"Are you done with Jedite?" Serena asked softly as he placed his hands on her and felt the warmth of his power.

"Yes. He's completely free of the Negaverse, and will remember the past." He answered as he focused on healing her.

Serena nodded and pulled her wand back out and aimed it at the unconscious man, and focused on waking him up from the sleep she had put him in. White light shot out of the crystal like a beam and gently hit his head for a few moments before it stopped.

She sighed and put her wand away, and closed her eyes as she relaxed in the warmth of her prince's power.

* * *

A pair of eyelids flickered before they opened to reveal gray eyes. They closed and blinked open again before they stared at the ceiling then shifted to look at the light to their right and back up at the ceiling.

Confusion and disorientation reigned as they tried to understand what was going on.

The first thought that came to mind was: _where am I?_ And then: _why am I here?_ He took a deep breath and closed his eyes as he tried to remember the last thing he did before waking up in this place.

A fight scene began to drift through his mind. A dark haired man in a tuxedo wearing a white mask that framed his deep blue eyes, a young woman with long golden blonde hair in an unusual style dressed in a skimpy sailor outfit, and him fighting them in what was clearly a two on one fight.

The clear memory continued on eventually showing him being trapped in some kind of glowing circle band, the young woman touching him with glowing white hands as her eyes glowed the same color, and then nothing.

Then the memories began to flash through his mind rapidly showing him living and working among a dark society bent on world domination, gathering human energy through the aid of creatures he drafted to work for him, competing against three men dressed the same as him, answering to a woman he called Queen.

Watching the man in a tuxedo and the young woman in the sailor outfit fighting and destroying the creatures, drafting creature after creature and watching them be destroyed by the fighters, and seeing two more young women in skimpy sailor outfits.

The memories stopped and he unconsciously placed names to the faces he saw. Malachite, Neflite, Zoycite, Queen Beryl, Sailor Moon, Sailor Mars, and Sailor Mercury. The names flowing through his mind triggered more memories; different separate memories.

Living in a palace, training and socializing with three men dressed like him, pledging to protect and serve his prince and future king, socializing with those three men and a dark haired man with deep blue eyes dressed in a uniform and armor, subtly following at a distance as the dark haired man walked with a woman wearing a white dress with incredibly long hair done up in an unusual style.

More and more memories came, and the more that came the more he began to understand. He began to understand, to _remember_ , who he was.

His eyes snapped open and he gasped. He was Jedite, guardian general to Prince Endymion, and he had somehow betrayed him in the past _and_ before he had even met him in the present.

Jedite sat up and looked around what was a small bedroom, and saw a young woman sitting on the floor leaning against the wall with her eyes closed as a young man knelt at her side with his glowing hands moving over her.

 _Who are they?_ Was his first thought, but then her eyes opened and she looked directly at him. Her blue eyes were gentle yet intense, add in her hair style, and he realized he was staring at not only Princess Serenity but Sailor Moon as well.

"How are you feeling?" He heard her soft voice ask, breaking through his realization, and he blinked.

"Confused; horrified; free." He answered idly, and then paused. _Free_. The word repeated through his mind and his eyes widened as he understood that he had been brainwashed. That was how he had betrayed his prince in the past, and in the present for that matter.

"Good." Serena said. "It took quite the fight and a lot of energy to free you from the Negaverse."

Jedite focused back on her and once again saw the glowing hands, the gold light, moving over her, and realized she was being healed. Healed from the injuries _he_ had caused.

 _I hurt my prince's princess to such an extent that she needs to be healed_. He thought in a pained tone. Then he looked to the dark haired young man. _He's the masked man_. He thought.

In the next moment he remembered the deep blue eyes, and realized _there_ was Prince Endymion; his prince. He had been fighting against his prince and his prince's princess.

And then it all registered. What he remembered, what he was seeing, and what the princess had said. They had freed him, rescued him, from the Negaverse.

He blinked and looked back and forth between the pair on the floor.

"Thank you." Jedite said gratefully as he turned to face them, his legs hanging off the side of the bed.

"You're welcome." Darien said as he finished healing his princess. "It's good to have you back." He added as he turned to look at Jedite as he sat next to her. "Do you remember how you came to be with the Negaverse?" He asked, and listened as the general sighed heavily.

"In this life or the last?" Jedite asked.

"Both, but perhaps you should start with the last so we can understand why everything ended the way it did." Darien answered, and he nodded.

"I was obviously brainwashed because the last thing I remember, before my thoughts suddenly changed, was talking to Malachite about the behavior of a sorceress, who I now know is called Beryl, who had been commissioned to occasionally come to the palace and provide entertainment." Jedite began.

"I noticed that she was at the palace more and more, and disturbingly lurking around your rooms, obviously in a part of the palace she didn't belong. I didn't know if she was trying to get into your rooms when you weren't there or waiting for you to return so she could see or talk to you, because I knew for a fact you were never there any of those times." He continued.

"I drove her away after catching her at it and listening to her nonsense excuses, and finally went to Malachite about it because it occurred to me to wonder what was happening the times I wasn't there to see her. Was she getting into your rooms? Was it not just during the day that she was lurking or at night as well?" He explained as she shook his head.

"I caught up to Malachite one evening in his bedroom. Next thing I knew I was thinking the Moon Kingdom was trying to gain control over the people of the Earth, and that you were already under their control by way of their princess." He said with an apologetic grimace.

"Orders had been to take down the Moon Kingdom before they could gain control of the Earth." He added with a sigh at the memory before he shook his head.

"In the present I was taken from my life when I was fifteen." Jedite continued on. "My home was suddenly invaded by monsters, and my entire family was killed. I was knocked unconscious, _after_ watching my family die, and when I woke I was in a completely different place and believed I had been with the people responsible my whole life."

"I didn't remember my family's death or that I'd even _had_ a family. As far as I was concerned I had been born and raised in the Negaverse." He said before he went quiet. After a few moments he shook his head to try and clear that disturbing fact away.

"I don't know how the Negaverse was able to change my thoughts and memories like that; in either time." He admitted in confusion.

Darien blinked and pressed his lips together. He thought he knew how. He was sure he had seen the process when he had been in their hands before he'd been brought back to this time.

"I'm sorry that happened to you. To you and the others." Serena said. She figured the others had likely lost their family the same way he did, and had been brainwashed in the past as well only in different ways.

"What was your present name?" She asked. "Or is if you still want to go by it."

"My name was Julius, and I do want to continue using it since it's all I have left of my family." Jedite answered.

"Which name do you prefer? Jedite or Julius?" She asked, and he shrugged.

"They're both my names, and I'll answer to both of them." He said. "What about you two? What are your names, and which do you prefer?"

"My name is Serena, and I answer to both Serena and Serenity, but only my prince refers to me as Serenity since nobody else knows I'm the Moon Princess." She said.

"Your Scouts don't know?" Jedite said in surprise.

"They don't. I remembered before I became a scout and awakened them, but I'm not ready for them to know yet." Serena said.

Jedite nodded and looked to his prince.

"My name is Darien, and I answer to both Darien and Endymion as well, but I think you should address me by my present name unless we're in private or you can't be heard." Darien said.

"You might as well do the same for me." Serena added, and he nodded.

"In that case the same should go for me as well. I'll go by Julius in public and Jedite in private." He said, and Serena and Darien nodded.

"So...what now?" He asked, and watched as his prince gestured with his head in his direction.

"Look on the nightstand. Those items are for you; assuming you still want to be one of my generals." Darien said.

"Of course I do." Jedite said as he turned and looked toward the nightstand then reached over and grabbed the ring and bracelet before facing them again. "What are these for exactly?" He asked.

"The ring is for communication with me and the others, should they choose to be my generals again." Darien said. "I'm already wearing mine." He added as he lifted his left hand, showing it, and explained about the gems and how it worked.

Serena grabbed his hand and looked at his ring as he spoke, knowing he hadn't been wearing it earlier in the day, and was impressed with what she saw. It was certainly much better than the pink calculator she had to use with the girls.

 _Could I change our communicators to something better?_ She wondered idly, but then she knew if she did it would have to wait until she revealed her true self.

"The bracelet is to bring out the general in you; the one that the evil taint Beryl put you under never touched. All you have to do is put it on and want to be that man again." Darien explained.

Jedite put the ring on his right hand and immediately slipped the bracelet onto his left wrist. He watched as the bracelet automatically shifted until it fit securely around his wrist.

"Here goes." He said as he stood up, and lifted his wrist slightly as if he was checking the time on a watch.

He focused on his past; on wanting to once again be a guardian general to his prince, so he could protect Endymion and prove his loyalty to him.

The earth symbol on the bracelet began to glow, and in a moment blue light began to surround him; swirling around his body until he was forced to close his eyes.

Darien and Serena squinted their eyes as Jedite's body was blocked from view and then blinked as it suddenly disappeared. They blinked their eyes open wider as they saw he was dressed completely different then he had been.

He now wore a light blue long sleeve top with dark turquoise lining that was cinched at the waist with a thin black leather belt, white pants, and tall black armored boots with an added front length to protect his knees.

To complete the look a white cape with a red inner lining hung from his shoulders secured by gray and turquoise fastenings, and a dark brown leather crisscross sword belt hung around his lower waist and hips securely holding a sword resting in its black sheath on his right side.

Jedite blinked as he looked down at himself, idly noticing that he still wore his communication ring, and took in the uniform he wore. It was a uniform he had not worn since before he was brainwashed in the past.

He gently touched the sleeves, grasped the fabric of his cape, and lightly touched the hilt of his sword.

He breathed deeply and blinked back tears. He had no idea how much he would be affected by being in his uniform once again; no idea that he had missed it so much, and be grateful and honored that he was being given the chance to wear it again; to show that he was worthy of it.

Jedite shook his head and took a step, and knelt on the floor before his prince; his arm coming up across his chest.

"I Jedite, present day Julius, Knight of patience and harmony, swear on my honor to once again serve and protect you and those you hold dear to the best of my ability and with my life." He said seriously as he looked to his prince.

Serena smiled and wondered if she would get similar vows from her Scouts once they knew who she was or rather once they remembered their past.

Darien smiled gently and instinctively called on the power of his golden crystal, his eyes instantly glowing gold, and reached forward and placed his hand on top of the one on Jedite's chest.

"I accept and welcome you." He said. As soon as the words left his mouth his hand glowed gold, and the light spread from his hand to Jedite's before sinking into his skin.

Darien knew in the next moment that it was his crystal acting on its own to assure his general could not be influenced again as he had been.

He then sat back next to Serena and returned the smile she gifted him; sharing her satisfaction that one of his generals was well and truly back and on his side.

Jedite shifted his position until he was sitting on the floor and with a sigh he instinctively released his transformation; frowning slightly as he recalled the days when it hadn't been a transformation but his everyday clothing.

"I'm free of the Negaverse and back in human civilization." He said as he leaned back against the bed. "Now what am I supposed to do? Who am I supposed to be, and where am I supposed to live?" He asked.

"You're going to need a new identity, which means you need a past and history so you can not only find a place to live, but get a job or go to school or both." Darien said.

"We can more than likely use our crystals to provide him with a past and history." Serena said to Darien before she looked to Jedite.

"That would be great." Jedite said. "I think it would be good for me and the others, when they're free, to live in the same building, house or apartment, if we can manage it." He added.

Darien and Serena nodded, silently agreeing that it would be good for them to live close together considering the generals had been gone from human civilization, as Jedite had put it, and been through similar experiences. It would be better for them to be close if they needed each other quickly.

"I wonder if there are any available apartments in this building." Serena said thoughtfully.

"I don't know, but I'll look into it and find out." Darien said before he looked back to Jedite. "For now you'll be living here, but regardless of where you and the others live later I'll pay for it until you all are on your feet so you won't have to worry about it."

"Thanks, and thanks in advance for wherever we end up living later." Jedite said, and Darien simply nodded with a slight smile.

Serena sighed and began to get up.

"Well, I'll leave you two to talk about everything _Julius_ will need to know about what's been happening so far in terms of the Scouts, and everyone's training cause I need to get home since Luna's waiting for me." She said while the guys started getting to their feet.

"As soon as we have some free time together we can get started on creating that past and history." She added as she looked to Darien.

"Of course." He said with a nod before he wrapped his arms around her in a hug and kissed her, uncaring of Jedite's presence. "I'll see you tomorrow; well later today." He said, remembering that it was early morning.

"I already can't wait." Serena said before she pulled him down for another kiss, and hugged him before she caressed his face and stepped out of his arms.

"Bye you guys." She said with a wave before she focused on a location that was secluded yet in her neighborhood, and called on her silver crystal and disappeared from the room.

Darien sighed and gestured toward the bed. As they both sat on the mattress he began telling Julius, deciding to start using the name since they both needed to get use to it, about who exactly Luna was and her finding Serena and making her a scout, and him becoming Tuxedo Mask as a result.

He told of their first fight and how Serena ditched Luna to come after him, and reveal herself to him and help him remember who he was.

Then of Serena finding Sailor Mercury and then Sailor Mars, and after recognizing Jedite putting out the idea that he should get his generals back since she would have her Scouts, and how that night was the first opportunity they had to get at him.

He explained how since they were keeping their true identities from Luna and her Scouts they would also be keeping knowledge of his and the other general's rescue and presence a secret as well. At least until the time was right.

After that Darien continued on and explained pretty much everything else except the fact that he and his princess had time traveled before they both turned in for the night.

 **~~uUuUu~~**

Beryl sat in her throne like chair waiting for word or an appearance from Jedite to find out if he had succeeded in obtaining energy or getting rid of those little girls.

Those little girls that were thorns in her sides. She wanted them gone; dead; not existing in the world she would soon be ruling.

And she didn't want any more of them appearing either! And if they did she wanted them just as dead as the other three. She wanted no more interference in her plans. That included that masked man that was also interfering.

She narrowed her eyes and held in an irritated huff. If Jedite failed her she was done with him. She would not tolerate failure. She would not even wish to see him again.

 _And I don't have to. I will send him away, banish him, but first I'll put him into an eternal sleep. Then there'll be no chance of him ever_... Beryl's thought suddenly cut off, and her eyes widened in shocked surprise as she sensed her connection to Jedite abruptly cut off.

 _There's only one thing that can cause that, which means Jedite's dead_. She thought and narrowed her eyes. _Which means he failed. He allowed the Sailor Scouts, those little girls, to kill him. It's a good thing he's dead or he'd be facing eternal sleep right now!_

Beryl was angry at the failure and unhappy at the loss of one of her generals, and not even getting any energy in compensation for her loss.

 _No dead scouts, no dead mystery man, no energy, and no general. It's a good thing I have more where he came from_. She thought. _Neflite! Attend me!_ She called, and watched him teleport in moments later and bow.

"My Queen." Neflite greeted. "You called."

"Yes." Beryl said as she stared at him. "Jedite is dead. He failed to gather enough energy, and kill the Sailor Scouts. You are now in charge of operations to collect energy, and you had better do a better job than your comrade did."

"Jedite was a fool; leave matters to me." Neflite said.

 **~~uUuUu~~**

Late Tuesday afternoon, the day after Jedite had been freed, Serena sighed as she closed the door to her bedroom and dropped her clothes on the floor in a pile at the end of her bed.

It had been a half an hour since Darien had dropped her off after her gymnastics class, and she had just finished showering and blow drying her hair and was ready to get dressed for the night to come.

Her prince was taking her out on a date.

It wasn't her first date with him. They had been out to eat, to the movies, had picnics, but this would not only be her first with him since he had arrived in the past but the first time he would be picking her up in a clear show that they were going out on a date.

She dropped the towel wrapped around her and took a few minutes to lather herself in lotion then put on the clean underwear she had laid out on her bed. She was glad Luna was elsewhere in the house since she wouldn't have felt comfortable getting dressed as she was in front of her.

That was something that had developed since she had been back in this time, and she suspected it was the modest royal in her not wanting to be seen in such an undressed state.

She didn't mind that, especially since she had been uncomfortable with Luna's attitude almost since they had met in this time. She was perfectly happy not having an audience while she dressed; at least until it was time for her prince to see her that way.

Serena shook her head slightly, clearing it of her wandering thoughts, and picked up the dress she had found recently on an outing with Molly. It was a long black silk qipao cheongsam dress with a scattering of gold roses, three quarter long sleeves, and a high split on both sides.

She stepped into the dressed and pulled it up, over her arms, and onto her body. She straightened it out and then reached with some difficulty to pull the zipper up her back. After a couple of strenuous minutes she succeeded and looked at herself in her vanity mirror.

She was pleased with how she looked, and she thought Darien would enjoy her appearance as well. After all, she was wearing his colors.

She sat down at her vanity and began to brush out her hair and twist and pin it up in her usual style. After a few minutes she was satisfied with the placement of the buns on her head, and put on a pair of dangling earrings, rose gold lined black roses, and some lip-gloss.

 _Okay. My brooch, lip-gloss, keys, and a little money_. She listed as she made sure everything she would need was in her subspace pocket since she didn't really want to bring a purse.

She then picked up the clothes she dropped on the floor and put them in her little hamper, knowing she needed to wash them either when she got back or the next day so they would be clean for her class on Thursday. Then she took the towel she had been wearing and left her room and dropped the towel in the bathroom hamper.

Serena returned to her room and checked the time, and realized she had some minutes left since they had agreed he would pick her up in an hour. After all, they wouldn't be out long since they both had school in the morning.

She looked to her empty wrists and sat at her vanity table, and began to look through her bracelets to see if she had one that went with her outfit.

"Where are you going?" She suddenly heard Luna's surprised voice ask, and she looked up into her mirror to see Luna standing near her bed and her door closed.

"I'm going on a date." Serena said in a tone that said it should be obvious as she went back to her search.

Luna blinked as she sat down. It had been surprising to enter the room to see Serena dressed up. She'd had no idea Serena had plans to go anywhere after returning home from her gymnastics class.

She shouldn't be going out on a date. What if there was an attack? How was she going to get away from wherever she was going to go fight? What would she tell her date? What of her homework? Was she going to be able to get it done when she returned before she went to sleep? Or was she going to stay up hours to do it and be tired the next day?

There were so many questions. Had Serena even thought of any of them?

"I assume your date is your boyfriend or is it someone else?" She said.

Serena blinked and frowned in irritation at the insinuation, but didn't stop what she was doing.

"Of course it's my boyfriend; who else would I go with?" She said.

"I don't know. That's why I asked." Luna said.

Serena sighed slowly but didn't say anything. Clearly Luna had a problem with her going out with her boyfriend, and appeared to think little of her if she thought she would have a boyfriend and go on a date with someone else altogether.

Had Luna been this way before, the first time around, as well? She'd been judgmental about her grades, about her study habits, about her eating habits, and sometimes it seemed her personality in general.

Now with all those things she could have complained about taken out of the picture it seemed she was finding other ways to complain and judge. It was something to keep in mind for later when her true identity was revealed.

"You shouldn't be going on this date, let alone on a school night." Luna said. "What if there's an attack? How are you going to get away from your date? What if he tries to follow you?"

"I'll be able to get away easily. I've done it before, and it will be easier if I need to tonight." Serena said as she put on her black medium heel shoes having decided against wearing a bracelet.

"What of your homework? When are you coming back? Will you have time to do it or do you plan to stay up all night?" Luna asked rapid fire.

Serena took a deep calming breath as she finished buckling the strap on her shoes, and looked up as she heard the doorbell.

"Don't worry about it Luna." She said as she stood up and stepped toward her door knowing that was Darien. "Enjoy your evening. If you don't want to be alone you can go visit Amy or Raye." She added before she left her room.

* * *

Serena and Darien walked up to the doors to Suntory Hall where the performance they had come to see was being held along with other nicely dressed people. It had only been twenty five minutes or so since Darien had picked up Serena from her house.

He had brought her a bouquet of fresh fragrant red roses, which she decided to keep with her until she returned home, looking extremely handsome. He wore black dress pants with a matching blazer and a long sleeve navy blue turtleneck with black dress shoes. The look emphasizing his dark hair and bringing out his deep blue eyes.

Serena smiled softly, remembering the look her prince had given her, as they entered the building and he led the way to their seats. It had been a look that clearly said she was beautiful and wanted to, at the very least, kiss her senseless.

They entered the large hall that was well lit and sat in comfortable cushioned seats in the front row of a balcony section looking down on the orchestra.

"Thank you for bringing me here." Serena said, looking to her prince as others around them began to take their seats, and smiled.

"You're welcome." Darien said and grasped and kissed her hand. "I hope you're able to enjoy yourself and relax."

"I'm sure I will. I hope you will as well." She replied.

"I will, and I'll definitely enjoy myself as well. I'm with you after all, and I'll consider this a quiet celebration for our success with Julius." He said.

Serena smiled and nodded, noting that it was good that he used that name since they needed to get used to Jedite's modern name.

"Luna didn't like that I was going out with you tonight." She said, changing the subject.

"What did she say?" He asked as he looked to her.

"At first she asked if I was going out with you or someone else, as if I would have a boyfriend and choose to go on a date with another guy." Serena said with an irritated huff.

Darien frowned incredulously, but said nothing.

"She told me I shouldn't be going on my date, and asked multiple questions. What if there was an attack? How would I get away from you? What if you tried to follow me? When was I going to get back? What about my homework? Would I have time to do it or did I plan to stay up all night?" She continued quietly.

"I kept my calm, and simply told her that I could leave if need be and to not worry about the rest." Serena said.

"What's her problem? It seems like from what you told me of her attitude from before that she's worse this time around." He said, and she sighed.

"I've noticed as well." She said.

"Why is she like that? She shouldn't be. If anything she should be calmer and possibly more relaxed since you're taking charge, training, and are a better fighter. Not only that but you're doing better in school and being more productive in general." Darien said, not understanding what was going on with the feline.

"To me it seems like since I'm doing better all around this time Luna doesn't have the things she complained about before, so she's finding new things to complain about." Serena explained. "I'm doing my best to remain calm, but I've decided to wait until after my true identity is revealed to do something about it."

Darien nodded and decided to keep informed about the cat's behavior toward his princess. She didn't need to put up with Luna even if the cat had made her a scout, and if she didn't change her attitude he was going to strongly suggest she be removed from influencing Serena's Scouts.

The lights suddenly dimmed around them until it was dark everywhere except the stage where the symphony orchestra they had come to see sat.

Over the next hour and a half they listened to a number of classical songs that were performed with violins, cellos, flutes, and a piano. It was so relaxing and soothing, and reminded them of musical concerts they had listened to in the past.

Once the performance was over they left and went to an Italian restaurant that offered takeout. Something they preferred as they didn't want to sit in the restaurant since they wanted to be able to talk openly and not be overheard.

They ordered and waited nearly twenty minutes before the bags with their food arrived. After Darien paid they returned to his car and headed for his apartment building.

When they arrived they took off their shoes and settled in the kitchen. They noted that Jedite was there, closed up in the guest bedroom, but ignored it knowing he would leave them alone. Serena sat at the table and pulled out the containers while Darien grabbed plates and utensils for them.

He joined her at the table and they began filling their plates with food. Within minutes they were eating and talking about the music they had heard, which then led them to reminisce about the performances they had attended in the past. Especially the ones they had attended at the same time; even if they hadn't been able to sit together.

When they finished the dishes were placed in the sink and the empty containers were thrown in the trash. Then they walked back to his bedroom and closed the door, and relaxed together on his bed so they could talk without Jedite overhearing them.

"What's wrong?" Darien asked quietly. He had been watching her since he picked her up for their date. He knew she had enjoyed herself, but there was clearly something on her mind, and it had been there throughout most of their time together.

Serena sighed lightly and snuggled against his chest.

"I feel guilty that I'm more open and comfortable with you then I was with the other Darien." She admitted. "It's something I noticed not long after you arrived in this time."

"You shouldn't feel guilty. I understand and believe the other Darien did as well, and that's why he used his crystal to try and gain my memories." He said as he looked to her. "When you came back here you knew he would be Tuxedo Mask when you became Sailor Moon, that he was the prince you loved in the past, and that you had come back to have another chance with him."

"But that doesn't change the fact that you had no recent history with him, so in a sense you both had been trying to force a relationship without building one first." He explained.

"Something similar would have happened with us had circumstances been different. We knew each other before the secrets came out, but we still would have had to date and really get to know each other." He added.

"Now since me and the other Darien have merged it's like we've done exactly that. He started the relationship and got to know you, but I have the history with you to make you truly comfortable with me." He concluded.

Serena listened carefully to her prince's explanation and blinked in surprise. She hadn't thought about the fact that she and the other Darien had basically been forcing a relationship.

They both remembered the past and the way they felt for each other, but the present time was where the complication lay. As far as the other Darien had been concerned he'd known her only a day before they were in a relationship.

With her she hadn't known him specifically, but remembered the him she'd left in the recent past. She was trying to treat them as the same person, as if no time had passed, thinking that as long as they both remembered the past it would be okay.

That hadn't exactly been the case. Both Darien's had different experiences starting with the day he became Tuxedo Mask, and that was her fault. She had not wanted to wait and try and follow what had happened before.

Serena pushed the guilt that tried to trickle up at that fact away. Her Darien had already said how proud he was that she had not waited to approach him, and the other Darien had been pleased to be with her.

The point was the different sequence of experiences made them behave and react, possibly even think, differently. The other Darien was hesitant, passive, and slightly tractable. Her Darien was bolder, firmer, and simply more intense.

Her Darien was clearly not afraid or hesitant to take her out on an evening date. The other Darien had no problem dropping her off after class, but had never even hinted at coming to pick her up at her house at any time. Neither of them had a problem showing her affection, but her Darien had an intensity to him that she realized was completely on par with his past self.

"I understand completely, and I'll try to push my guilt away until it's gone." She said, and watched as he rolled them slightly until he was hovering over her.

"Don't try; just do it. No more referring to or thinking of us as me and the other Darien. We are one; we are simply Darien. Just as me and Endymion are one. Okay?" He said.

Serena nodded as she looked up to him, knowing he was right.

"Good. Now no more thinking about it. We're on a date, and I want it to end on a happy note." Darien said before he leaned down and kissed her, pressing his lips firmly to hers, before his tongue silently begged to enter her mouth.

Serena hummed and wrapped her arms around his neck as she parted her lips for him. His tongue slipped into her mouth and moved around as if he was trying to memorize the shape before he turned his attention to her tongue.

She had no problem sliding and twisting her tongue around his since she was eager for the passion he was showing her. He'd been showing it to her since he let her know he was in that time with her. They had in fact made out a couple of times since then, but this was the first time they had been lying down and on his bed at that.

This make out session brought up memories of the past; of nights in their bedrooms, hers on the Moon and his on the Earth, full of passion and desire.

 _Will this lead to more?_ She wondered. She'd felt trickles of desire during their previous make out sessions, but none of those times had the potential to lead to more as this night did.

Darien moved one of his hands from where it rested on the bed to her side, deciding to take this to another level and thoroughly enjoy the beautiful dress she was wearing.

He slid his hand up and down her side, brushing up the side of her breast and gliding down over her hip before he slipped his hand into the split her dress provided and stroked her warm thigh.

He listened to her moan softly and deepened their kiss as he rested his weight on her, trapping her leg between his and placing his leg between hers as he continued to stroke along her free leg.

Serena bent her free leg and pressed it against his, needing to do something at the feel of his hand moving along her leg. She gently ran her fingers through his hair, loving the feel of it and idly enjoying making it look messy since she liked the messy look of his hair.

She felt him sit up slightly and slide his hand up her side, and the next thing she knew his hand was resting heavily on her breast. He caressed her through her dress and she hummed into his mouth in pleasure.

Within the next moment he was gently squeezing her as his tongue slid against hers and she arched slightly against him, pushing her breast up into his hand.

Darien pressed his lips to his princess' once more before he kissed along her cheek and back to her neck as he squeezed her breast slightly harder. He loved the feel of her and very much wished her dress wasn't in the way.

He knew he could easily get her out of it, but he had no plans to that night. She was his princess and he loved her, wanted to experience her, but he wanted their present relationship to be stronger before they took that step.

He wanted her to stop thinking of him and the Darien of this time as separate men, wanted her to know that he loved her, and that she was as precious to him now as she had been in their past.

He didn't know how long or short that wait would be, he was sure he would know when the time was right, but that didn't mean they couldn't have some pleasure in the meantime. It just wouldn't be as intense as it could be.

Serena turned her head to give Darien better access to her neck and moaned softly at the feel of his hand squeezing her. The combination of his kisses, his touches, and the weight of his body on her was having a noticeable familiar effect on her.

Desire was moving through her body, raising her body heat, and making her wish for more. More of her prince's touch, more kisses, more pleasure.

She unconsciously lifted her hips and gasped at the pressure of his leg pressed between her legs. Pleasure surged sharply before fading slightly, and she couldn't help repeating the action; wanting the pleasure to return.

It did and thankfully he added to that by pushing his hips down against hers, pressing his leg harder against her with a moan that made her realize her leg between his was having the same effect as it was on her.

Darien gently suckled her neck, not wanting to leave a mark he would have to heal, as he caressed and squeezed her breast. All the while his hips moved, rocking rhythmically against hers, building and prolonging their pleasure.

He listened to her quick breaths as they moved against each other and soon felt her hand slide down his arm until it rested on the hand on her breast. She stroked his hand before she squeezed. His fingers tightened around her breast in response and listened as she moaned.

The sound was music to his ears and seemed to control the movement of his hips as he found himself thrusting harder against her leg, which in turn made her do the same to keep their rhythm. He pressed a kiss to her neck once more before he moved his lips back to hers in an open mouthed kiss.

The seconds and minutes passed with them thrusting and grinding their hips against each other in a steady rhythm, heedless of the clothing separating them, and kissing and panting as they stroked their hands along each other's body.

Gradually their desire grew and they moved their hips faster, their kisses coming quicker, as they worked furiously to increase their pleasure.

Soon the kissing stopped, neither able to focus on it, as they held each other and focused almost mindlessly on the pressure between their legs; on the building pleasure until first Serena and moments later Darien moaned and groaned in bliss as their release exploded through them.

They lay panting as they caught their breath before Darien lifted himself slightly and they looked at each other silently. There was no need for words. They had experienced passion and pleasure, thoroughly enjoyed it, and knew they could again any time they wanted.

Darien smiled and Serena returned it. As far as he was concerned their date was definitely ending on a happy note.

He glanced to his clock and noticed it was getting late and he would have to take her home soon.

 _But not just yet_. He thought before he leaned down and kissed her.

 **~~uUuUu~~**

Wednesday thankfully started normally in Serena and Darien's opinion. They were both feeling happy and content after their date the previous night, and it made the day seem brighter.

They both went to school and had a normal day of lectures, note taking, and tests. After school they met up at the large park with the recreational center for their usual workout and training.

Although before transforming and training with their powers they took some time to use their crystals to provide Jedite a paper past and history, so he could get a job or go to school or whatever else he might need to do to go about his life normally.

Once they had finished that, and Darien had put the documents safely away, they transformed and spared, continuing to hone their physical fighting skills, and worked on their dodging.

Serena also practiced her new ability to use her tiara as a means to trap and prevent movement. Her prince was kind enough to be her test subject so she could practice it on someone who was motionless and someone who was running around.

When they finished Darien drove them to the dojo where their martial arts classes were held and began to get ready for their Taekwondo class.

Now they had just finished their class and had been given a break before their Karate class started. Serena was in the bathroom, having just finished washing her hands and was in the process of drying them, when she heard her communicator going off.

She frowned and quickly finished drying her hands before gesturing with her hand for the pink calculator like object, thankful it was a single stall restroom.

"Serena here." She answered.

 _"There's a monster attack at a tennis court park."_ She heard Amy's voice come through. _"Mars and I are here, and the monster doesn't seem to be attacking multiple people."_

"What is it doing?" She asked calmly, as the mention of a tennis court had already clued her in to which monster it was and that it meant the next general, Neflite, was active.

 _"It somehow attacked and drained a single girl of all her energy, and it seems to not be interested in getting more from anyone else."_ Amy explained. _"We_ _'re currently trying to keep it from getting away, but it's a bit more powerful than the previous monsters."_

"What's the exact location?" She asked, even though she already knew where it was. "Alright. I'm on my way. Serena out." She said as soon as she had it.

She put her communicator away and hurried out of the bathroom, and toward the large room where their classes were held and went directly to Darien.

"We need to go." She said quickly. "The attack at the tennis court is happening."

Darien's eyes widened slightly and he got up quickly, remembering that monster because of what it had done to Serena, and knowing this was Neflite's first move after taking over from Jedite.

They grabbed their bags with their clothes in it and hurried out of the room and the dojo altogether before racing to find a secluded place to transform. They found an alleyway and quickly put their bags in their subspace pocket and transformed quickly.

In the next moment they leapt up to one of the rooftops and began to leap from roof to roof toward their destination.

Once they reached the park they ran until they reached the tennis courts, and stopped in the trees out of sight of everyone in the fenced in tennis court. What they saw was surprising and yet not considering what they remembered of that same fight the first time around.

Standing on one side of the tennis net was the monster. It was tall and female in appearance with pale paper white skin, short straight hair shaped upward in a triangle, large pointed ears, and solid lime green eyes. It wore a black bodysuit with an attached pointy red shoulder piece, red dangling earrings, and gold wrist bands.

Mercury was standing back, on the other side of the tennis net, with her goggles activated and looking as if she was ready to dodge at the slightest move from the monster.

Mars on the other hand must not have been able to dodge or at least not quick enough, because she was off to the side and only her head including her hair, arms, and legs were visible outside of the massive green tennis ball that was around her upper body.

Sailor Moon smiled lightly and huffed slightly in amusement as she remembered being in that same predicament and Mars giving her grief about it later after she found out what happened to her.

 _Karma_. She thought before she shook her head and focused on the monster, and saw that she held a tennis racket that looked like it was made of fire.

Tuxedo Mask took in the scene including the downed girl off to the side of the monster. He knew she would be fine as soon as the monster was defeated. What he was looking for didn't seem to be visible or rather didn't seem to be there at all; Neflite. He hadn't seen the man on their way there through the park, and didn't see him anywhere near the tennis court.

Clearly there would be no rescuing him this day.

"Obviously there's no going back to class after this, so I'll see you tomorrow." Sailor Moon said.

"Of course." Tuxedo Mask said as he nodded. "Call me later in the evening. I still have to go back to get my car, and I don't think I'm going to feel up to dealing with your father if he answered the phone if I called."

"Okay. I'm going in." She said, and he nodded.

She took off running toward the fence enclosing the court where her fellow scouts were. She jumped the fence and landed lightly on the ground in between Mars and Mercury.

"What did I miss?" She asked as she glanced from one to the other before she returned her eyes to the monster.

"It has the ability to turn us into tennis balls, so avoid the energy it shoots out of its fire racket." Sailor Mars informed her.

"It can shoot out fireballs from that racket as well. From small to large to massive." Sailor Mercury added.

Sailor Moon nodded but before she could say anything else the monster swung its racket and a tennis sized fireball came flying at her.

She dodged but it didn't stop there. The fireballs kept coming, rapid fire at all of them, so they were forced to continue to dodge and run to keep from being hit; especially as the fireballs were gradually increasing in size.

Tuxedo Mask watched the scene as he moved around the court unnoticed until he was behind the monster. This could not continue or one of them would get burned, and he hated the thought that it might be his princess.

He leapt up onto the top of the fence, and balanced as he carefully pulled out a rose and threw it at the monsters back. It pierced into its back and it screamed but more importantly it stopped launching fireballs at the Scouts.

It turned and looked up at him angrily before it swung its racket and launched a fireball at him. He ran along the fence and launched a rose at the ball of fire, and another just as quickly at the monster's face.

The rose and fireball exploded in the air, which caused the rose to be knocked around so the blossom smashed into the monster's face instead of piercing it.

Sailor Moon immediately turned toward Mars, now that the monster was distracted, and pulled off her tiara, charged it up, and launched it toward Mars; the words ' _Moon Tiara Stardust_ ' flowing through her mind.

The glowing tiara flew through the air and circled above Mars, raining down glittery dust until the tennis ball around her faded away.

"Thanks!" Mars said.

"No problem." She said as she caught her tiara as it returned to her.

 _Shine Snow Illusion._ Mercury thought as she threw her hands forward, and watched as a small snow storm spewed out straight at the monster.

The monster wiped its face and looked behind itself just in time to avoid the cold attack headed its way, and then had to dodge again to avoid getting a flaming arrow in the side.

 _Mercury Bubbles Blast_. Mercury thought as she focused on spreading a thick fog around the entire court so the monster couldn't see them or the attacks they launched its way.

Tuxedo took advantage of the fog to run back the way he had come along the fence before jumping down into the court. He landed next to the unconscious girl and quickly picked her up and jumped over the fence to get her out of the way so she wouldn't become collateral damage.

Sailor Moon huffed in annoyance and slight frustration. Mercury's fog was helpful in hiding them and what they were doing from the monster, but Mercury was the only one that could see what she was doing with her goggles.

 _I have got to speak to her about this during our next training session_. She thought, giving herself the reminder before she pushed her feelings aside and pulled off her tiara.

She charged it quickly and squinted into the fog, trying to see the monster, and frowned when she couldn't. She looked to her side and could just see Mars, but when she looked to her other side she couldn't see Mercury.

She hesitated, not wanting to throw her tiara at the last location she had seen the monster in case it had moved, which is what _she_ would do.

In the next moment she realized she should have already done that, but before she could do just that a fireball came streaking at her through the fog. Her eyes widened and she grabbed her tiara and began to dodge, but it was a fairly large fireball and she knew she wasn't going to make it.

Sailor Mars frowned as she stared into the fog. She wanted to launch her attack, but she wasn't sure if it would affect the fog in clearing it away. Then again she wasn't sure the monster was still where she had last seen it.

Suddenly she heard a piercing scream off to her right, and recognized it immediately as Sailor Moon's voice.

Tuxedo put the girl down in some grass near a tree and immediately ran back and jumped up over the fence. Before he even hit the ground he saw a flare of fire and to his horror the unmistakable sound of his princess screaming.

He raced toward her, the fog not at all impeding his senses, and slid to a stop on the ground next to her.

"Oh Serenity." He breathed out as he saw the side of her right arm burned from just above her elbow to nearly her wrist. Her skin was red, inflamed, and a little bubbly. The only part of her glove to survive was on the far side of her arm and from the wrist down.

"I'll do what I can while we're still hidden by the fog." He said as he listened to her moan in pain.

She nodded as she gritted her teeth, and he placed his gloved hands in the air just over her elbow and focused on his golden crystal. Instantly his hands were glowing gold and healing the burn even as a part of him was listening to the sounds around him.

He had run by Mercury so he knew she was behind him and wouldn't see his glowing hands, but he knew Mars was in front of him and he needed to make sure she didn't see if she was able to make her way through the fog.

Quick footsteps sounded and he immediately released the healing light, the golden glow disappearing in an instant, and he instead began to help his princess sit up just as Mars appeared through the fog.

"Are you okay?" Mars asked as she knelt down next to her.

"I'm in pain, but I can manage." Sailor Moon said. _Although_ _I'm grateful my prince was able to do what he could_. She thought. He'd managed to lessen the pain and partially heal the burn around her elbow before Mars arrived.

"What happened?" Mercury asked as she made it to them and knelt next to Tuxedo.

"I saw a large fireball coming too late, and wasn't able to completely dodge it." She answered.

Everyone grimaced at that and they all looked at the fog toward the net where the monster had been.

"This fog has to go. I had no idea where the monster was, and couldn't attack because of it. Not only that but we can't see it attacking us." She said.

Mercury grimaced again; this time in guilt. She heard what wasn't being said. It was her fog that made it so Moon couldn't see the fireball coming soon enough.

"Right." She said with a nod before she got to her feet.

Tuxedo helped Moon to her feet and then picked up her tiara and handed it to her. Moon grabbed it in her left hand as she moved her right arm experimentally. It hurt, fiercely, but she could still use it to throw her tiara.

 _At least I know now that I need to practice throwing my tiara with my left hand in case I'm unable to use my right hand_. She thought with a pained grimace.

Sailor Moon charged up her tiara until it was a glowing white disk floating above her fingertips and nodded at everyone. Mercury and Mars returned her nod and moved away, so they would have room to attack and dodge.

Tuxedo on the other hand stayed put. He had seen her grimace as she stood, and wasn't blind to the fact that she had yet to move even an inch from where he had stood her up.

He looked down her legs to her feet and saw that she wasn't putting weight on her left foot. If it was broken then she would have been in even more pain and unable to hide it, so he guessed it was either sprained, severely or otherwise, or severely bruised.

He held in a frown and took up a defensive position slightly in front of her but off to the side so as not to hinder her ability to launch her attack, pulling out a handful of roses in the process. He hated that he couldn't heal her right then, especially now that he knew she had another injury. Then he did frown as he realized even after the fight he wouldn't be able to heal her.

It was going to have to wait until she was away from the girls, and Luna for that matter. He would have to pay her a night time visit. As the fog began to fade he turned his head toward her.

"I'll come heal you tonight, but you're going to have to make sure Luna isn't around." He said quietly, and she nodded.

"I'll give you a time to come when I call you later." Sailor Moon said quietly.

He nodded and they both focused on the fading fog.

As the fog completely cleared they saw the monster standing there as if it didn't have a care, but then she shifted and swung her racket, fireballs flying at everyone.

 _Mars Flame Sniper_. Mars thought as she immediately produced her flaming bow, and sent a flaming arrow at the first fireball headed toward her. Then continued to shoot arrows at each fireball that came after it causing mini explosions in the air.

Once they stopped coming in her direction she shot her arrows at the monster intent on ending its existence.

Sailor Moon stayed where she stood as the balls of fire sped toward her and her disguised prince, but she trusted him to stop the attacks and keep her safe.

She watched as he quickly threw a rose at each fireball, causing mini explosions, before she shifted her eyes back to the monster, and waited for an opportunity to launch her tiara where she was positive it would connect with the monster.

Mercury dodged this way and that way as she avoided fireballs the size of basket balls. As soon as there was a break in the flaming balls headed her way she began to launch her attack at the monster.

 _Shine Snow Illusion_. She thought and watched as snow shot out of her hands before she repeated her attack.

Unfortunately it kept avoiding her attacks so it kept slamming into the fence and freezing portions here and there. She changed her focus and decided to target the monster's lower legs and feet, hoping to freeze it in place so Mars and Moon's attacks could hit it.

However, to her frustration it was still able to dodge even as it dodged out of the way of Mars' fire arrows.

She looked over to Moon and Tuxedo and saw that he was protecting her from the attacks, but more importantly that she wasn't moving even though she was focused on the monster. Considering the situation it was obvious that she was more hurt than just the burn on her arm, and she felt even guiltier than she already did.

Mercury looked back to the monster and tried to think of another solution to stop the monster, because this needed to end and end quickly so Sailor Moon could get home and deal with her injuries.

The monster was too fast to get caught up in their attacks, and had control and focus to be able to still launch attacks.

She dodged a fireball and then another before she decided if she couldn't land a hit on the monster perhaps she should stop trying and instead try distracting it. She looked to the ground and then the ice on the fence and back to the ground before she nodded to herself.

 _Shine Snow Illusion_. She thought, launching her attack once more, but this time she aimed it at the ground beneath and around the monster's feet.

The ground under the monster's feet began to grow slick looking and shiny, to the point that she could see the reflection of the fire attacks, before it spread outward.

The monster launched another fireball from its racket, but slipped and looked down to see ice all over the ground.

Sailor Moon noticed the monster's distraction and instantly threw her glowing tiara at it before it recovered its focus. Mars also noticed and, taking advantage of the monster's distraction, launched another flaming arrow at the monster.

The arrow and tiara reached the monster at the same time and hit it causing it to scream. It screamed loudly before it abruptly stopped and began to crumble and disintegrate.

As soon as the remains of the monster was gone, and her tiara was back in her possession, Sailor Moon looked to Mercury.

"Check on the girl." She told her.

"I left her over there." Tuxedo added, gesturing toward the trees where the young girl lay.

They both watched as she began to run and jump over the fence.

"Go. Before they can say something to you. I'll call you later." Sailor Moon said as she looked to him.

Tuxedo nodded and stepped away from her before he followed Mercury over the fence and quickly ran off and disappeared into the park.

She closed her eyes with a grimace, and focused on her silver crystal. _Please, please numb my pain so I can travel home quickly and safely_. She asked.

There was a warm comforting pulse through her body, and she held in a sigh of relief as her pulsing stinging pain disappeared from one moment to the next.

"Are you holding up okay?" Mars asked as she moved to Moon's side.

"Mm-hmm." She hummed positively as she nodded and opened her eyes.

 _I need to continue holding my arm carefully to make it seem like I'm still feeling pain_. She reminded herself as she looked around. She saw the door in the fence, and began to limp subtly toward it since her staying still would have been noticed by at least Mercury.

"We should get going." She said to Mars as she walked.

 **~~uUuUu~~**

Ikuko Tsukino stood in her kitchen at her stove Thursday morning finishing up her husband's breakfast and lost in thought about her daughter.

She had finally decided to speak to Serena after seeing her injured the evening before. Limping as if it hurt to take a step and favoring her right arm like moving it was painful. She had been shocked as it had been worse than the few injuries she had seen before.

Now this was different. Enough was enough. She needed answers.

She removed the food from the stovetop and carefully put it on the plate so not a single piece fell off. She moved around grabbing toast and pouring orange juice then wiped her hands, and grabbed the plate and cup and carried them into the dining room and placed them in front of her husband.

"Thank you." He said before he kissed her cheek.

Ikuko simply kissed his cheek in return before leaving the room in search of her daughter. She knew she was normally already up at this time, and wanted to catch her before she left.

As she reached the top of the stairs she was just in time to see her daughter step out of the bathroom in her school uniform with her pajamas slung over her arm. To her surprise there was no sign of injury or that she was in any kind of pain. It was as if she had healed overnight.

"Good morning." Serena said, and Ikuko thought she even sounded fine, and not at all like she was hiding any pain.

"Good morning." She said in return. "I want to speak with you when you get home from your gymnastics class. It's important."

"No problem." Serena said as she nodded. "I'll come straight home."

"Thank you." Ikuko said before she began to walk back down the stairs, letting her daughter get back to getting ready for school.

* * *

Serena smiled softly as she waved to Darien before she turned from the car and walked toward her front door. She pulled out her keys and readjusted the strap of her duffle bag on her shoulder as she reached the door.

Within moments the door was open and she was through it and closing it. She looked into the living room and saw her mom sitting on the couch.

"Hi. I'm going to put my bags in my room, and then I'll be right back down for our talk." She said, and her mother nodded, seeing that she was still wearing her gymnastics clothes.

"Okay." She said, and Serena turned and walked up the stairs and into her room.

"Hey Luna." She said to the cat lying on her bed, and dropped her duffle bag next to her closet. She stepped over to her floor desk and placed her school bag on it before she left the room before Luna could even return her greeting. Then walked down the stairs, and into the living room.

Serena couldn't help wondering what her mom wanted to talk about. She had speculated on it all day and even asked Darien if he had any ideas. He was just as clueless as she was, and simply said she would find out when she spoke to her.

"Is dad home yet?" She asked as she sat on the couch.

"No. He called earlier and said he needed to stay at work late. He likely won't be back until after dinner." Her mother said.

 _Which is a good thing since I don't want him here for this conversation. I want to hear her answers and explanations before I say anything to him._ Ikuko thought, and then sighed heavily.

"I've been noticing many new things about you that are concerning me. I've seen a marked change in your behavior from one day to the next. There's nothing bad about it, but it's unusual and different from how you've been behaving over the past years." She said.

"Then there are the classes you're taking after school and how serious you're taking them. That in itself isn't bad or wrong but it leads into what's really concerning me, which is the fact that you've been coming home with injuries of various degrees." She continued.

"Yesterday was the worse I've seen, and I don't understand how you can get so injured in those classes. I actually don't even think you're getting them from your classes. You never mention the injuries, and act like they don't exist or even matter!" Ikuko said.

"Then there's the unknown older-looking guy you're obviously spending time with, with him dropping you off all the time and going out with him a few days ago. I don't think he's your age with a car like the one I've seen a number of times now." Her mother said.

"I'm also concerned about the brooch you're always wearing. It's beautiful but it looks extremely expensive, and I wonder where it suddenly came from." She finished as she looked at her daughter.

Serena listened carefully to her mother and grew more and more dismayed the longer she spoke. When she had first gotten back and decided to change her attitude and behavior as a result of remembering her past she had only thought of how it would affect her scout life. She had wanted Luna and the girls to respect her from the start, and be a better fighter.

The classes were for her to become a better fighter, and with her prince taking them as well it was a bonus. His guidance would help increase her skill, and she would get to spend time with him without anyone they knew interrupting them.

And she hadn't thought anyone would think anything of him dropping her off; maybe they would think he was a friend and that was it. She had only thought that would change a few days ago when he picked her up for their date.

 _And the injuries_. She thought with an internal sigh. She knew some of them had been worse than others, but she hadn't thought anything of it. It was an occupational hazard of being a scout, and one she accepted to be able to fight and relate with her prince and Scouts.

Looking back now with her mother's concerns in her ears she realized she had been hurt more this time around than she had been before, and that was due to the fact that this time she was fighting more because she was training and developing the skill to do so.

Serena guessed the changes in her attitude and behavior, and the other things caused her mom to notice her brooch this time around. She really didn't have to keep it on her school uniform like she did, but she was used to keeping it there and it was a very pretty brooch.

"Does dad have the same concerns?" She asked.

"He doesn't." Ikuko answered; though she refrained from saying he hadn't even noticed.

Serena nodded. "My behavior changed simply because I decided it was time for a change. I wanted to do better in school, be a better friend, and I wanted to be a more well-rounded person." She said.

"You know I'm taking my classes because I want to better myself and have something to do besides shopping and playing games, and on top of that I wanted to learn how to defend myself in the case of my martial arts classes." She explained, and watched her mother nod.

"What about the older guy? He isn't hurting you is he? Since he's the only other explanation for the injuries you still haven't explained." Her mother said.

"Hurting me?" Serena repeated incredulously. She was shocked and outraged. Her prince would never hurt her. He would rather die than see her hurt. He _had_ died rather than see her hurt!

This was completely beyond the pale. Her mother could think what she wanted of her, but she could not and would not allow her to think her prince was abusing her.

She frowned and looked away as she realized quickly that she had no other explanation for her injuries other than the truth. And she would rather tell it then have anyone think poorly of her prince.

 _Me either I suppose_. She thought, her frown still on her face. She had done nothing wrong. She thought she was a better person this time around, and was doing well when it came to school, her friends, and life as a scout.

 _Can she handle the truth?_ She wondered as she looked back to her mom and saw the concern and worry in her eyes, and decided that she could handle it. Plus, if her father didn't have the same concerns as her then that meant she obviously hadn't mentioned it. Beyond that she also had no other explanation for her brooch.

 _So the truth it is, but precautions need to be taken_. She thought before she stood up.

"Can we finish this conversation in your room? I'll explain once we're there." Serena said.

After all, Luna was there in the house, and she didn't want her to know she was telling her mother. She didn't plan on telling her mother everything though. She didn't need to know that she was from the recent future.

Ikuko pursed her lips but said nothing as she stood up, and began to lead the way up to her bedroom. Once inside she turned to her daughter and raised an eyebrow as she watched her close the door. Then she blinked her eyes wide as she watched a soft white light form around her daughter's hand and spread around the door before fading away.

"For privacy." Serena said as she turned to her mother, because she _really_ didn't want Luna hearing any of what was going to be said soon.

"What was that? And what do you mean privacy? Your brother is staying over at a friend's tonight, and you know your father isn't home." Her mother said, and she smiled lightly.

"You'll understand once I start explaining." She said as she stepped toward her. She guided her to sit on the bed and sat next to her, and turned to face her, resting her leg on the bed.

"I heard and understand your worries and concerns, but I have an explanation since they all link together." Serena said. "What I'm going to say is going to sound unbelievable, but it's true and I can and will prove it."

Ikuko frowned but nodded hesitantly as she waited to hear what her daughter would say; how she could possibly explain away all her concerns with a single explanation.

"A few months ago, around the time Luna came to us, I learned something about myself. Soon after that I became Sailor Moon." Serena said outright, seeing no reason to hesitate or beat around the bush.

Ikuko's eyes widened.

"Luna showed up in my room one evening and told me that she had been looking for me, and that it was my job to fight and stop the monsters attacking people; and more importantly to find and protect the princess of the Moon. That I was one of her Guardian Scouts." She continued.

"I didn't believe her, and told her to prove it; and she did by producing my brooch and telling me the words to make me transform into the warrior she claimed I was." She explained.

Ikuko stared at her daughter in stunned surprise. This was not what she expected at all when her daughter said she could explain what was going on with her.

That her pet cat, that could apparently talk, told her she was a sailor scout that was supposed to fight monsters and protect some kind of princess. And she said it in a tone that was quiet but completely serious.

It was ridiculous and unbelievable and she was almost angry that her daughter would lie to her like that, but she reminded herself that her daughter had said it would sound unbelievable but that it was true and she could prove it.

"Prove it." She said in a controlled voice after taking a deep breath.

Serena smiled softly and gestured slightly with her hand, and Ikuko watched wide eyed as the golden brooch that had become familiar on her daughters school uniform fell into her hand out of nowhere.

Serena stood up and looked at her brooch and opened her mouth, but paused as it occurred to her that she needed to let Darien know what was going on so he wouldn't think there was a fight and come to her. Not that she would mind, it was just it couldn't happen with Luna there.

"Here have a look. I need to make a call." She said as she handed her mom her brooch.

"What?!" Her mother said.

"It's something else you'll understand once I've proved myself and we talk more." Serena said.

With that she stepped toward the door and opened and closed it behind her, unhindered by the protection she put up. Then she headed downstairs and grabbed the phone, and quickly started to dial her prince's number.

But then stopped mid dial as she realized he wouldn't be home yet. She and her mom had only been talking for a few minutes. He would still be in the general area. She put the phone back down with a sigh and silently apologized for whatever tension, stress, or panic he would feel at her transformation happening just after he left her.

She hurried back upstairs and opened the door to her parent's room and closed it once she stepped inside.

"That was quick." Ikuko said as she looked up from the surprisingly heavy brooch in her hands.

"I didn't make it since I realized the person isn't home, but I'll still explain it to you." Serena said. _I'll have to if Tuxedo Mask suddenly shows up_. She thought as she took her brooch from her mom.

"Moon Prism Power." She said, and was instantly surrounded in warm pink light.

Ikuko couldn't help but squint her eyes at the bright light even as she attempted to watch every moment of this unexpected phenomenon. She wouldn't believe this was happening if she wasn't seeing it with her own eyes.

When the light finally cleared she blinked to clear her vision and gasped, her eyes widening, as she looked at the warrior her daughter had become.

Only recently had there been photos and videos of the mysterious warriors that had begun to appear and fight the monsters attacking people. Nothing of the actual fights yet, but of them in the middle of what looked like them running.

She recognized the white body suit, the incredibly short blue skirt, the red bows, the blue sailor collar, white long gloves, and red knee high boots. And the hair style! How had she not seen it before?! It was the same style she had worn since she was a little girl!

"You really are Sailor Moon." Ikuko whispered, and she nodded.

"Yes. As you see." Serena said as she lightly gestured to herself.

"And there are more of you, more scouts. I remember seeing vague photos of two more." She said.

"Sailor Mars and Sailor Mercury." Serena said, not bothering to even bring up Sailor V. "You've actually met them." She added. Her mother's eyes widened, but she continued before she could say anything. "Sailor Mercury is Amy and Sailor Mars is Raye."

"Oh wow." Ikuko said. _That's unexpected even though it probably shouldn't be. It makes sense that she knows who the other scouts are_. She thought before she sighed.

"This is the cause of all the changes in your behavior." She said in a slightly questioning tone.

"It's part of the reason." Serena said. "If you recall I started by saying I learned something about myself and _then_ I became Sailor Moon. What I learned, or rather remembered, is that I'm the princess of the Moon."

Ikuko's eyes widened as she recalled her saying that it was the duty of the Guardian Scouts to find and protect the princess.

"If you're the princess of the Moon how can you be a guardian scout? Did Luna not realize you were the princess she told you you were supposed to find and protect?" She asked.

"Luna did not know; she didn't remember what the princess looked like, and I didn't tell her I remembered when she came to me." Serena explained. "I figure she sensed my inner power, possibly that it was connected to the Moon, and simply assumed I was the scout of the Moon. Mind you, if she remembered more of the past she would have known that there had been no Sailor Moon in the past."

Ikuko simply looked at her in a sort of stunned surprise.

"That's the reason for the privacy." She added. "For one, I don't want Luna knowing that I'm revealing my secret life to you, and two, I don't want Luna knowing that I'm the Moon Princess or that I remember who I truly am."

"Why? Why don't you want her knowing that you're the princess she's looking for, and that you remember?" Her mother asked.

"Because I want to be a scout and I don't want to deal with Luna trying to tell me that I shouldn't be or, outrageously, that I can't be one. I want to be able to protect myself and relate to my Scouts." Serena said.

"Beyond that I want my Scouts to be the best they can be, and that can't happen the way I want it to unless I take charge of them myself, which is exactly what I did." She added.

"I train with Amy and Raye on the weekends and have them train on their own during their free time during the week. I myself do the same thing, which is the reason for my after school classes." She explained.

Ikuko's eyes widened in understanding, and everything really started clicking. Serena was taking those classes to be the best warrior she could be and to train her Scouts to be the best as well. She was coming home hurt because she was out fighting those monsters.

 _And the other changes in her behavior. Are those because she remembers she'_ _s a princess?_ She wondered as she frowned.

"Are you really this princess of the Moon? Are you sure?" She asked.

Serena nodded and focused on her royal self. Within moments she was surrounded in a soft white light, warmth enveloping her comfortingly, before it flashed brightly leaving her in her royal form.

Ikuko gasped at the sight that met her blinking eyes once she could see again. Her daughter no longer stood as an intimidating warrior, but as an elegant young woman.

She wore a white sleeveless floor length dress, that looked like it was made of something much more fine than silk, with an elaborate bodice decorated with white pearls, a large nearly transparent bow on her lower back, and off the shoulder accenting cuffs.

She had a delicate looking string of pearls around her wrist, three earrings in each ear- two white pearls and a dangling gold swirl, triple pearl barrettes in her hair just behind her bangs, and a golden crescent moon in the center of her forehead perfectly framed by her bangs.

"Wow." Was all Ikuko could say. Her daughter actually looked like a princess; her daughter really was the princess she said she was; princess of the Moon. "Do you remember that life? Your past?" She finally asked.

"Every bit of it, which brings me to one of the concerns you expressed. About the 'older guy' I've been spending time with." Serena said.

Her mother blinked, clearly wondering what he had to do with it.

"His name is Darien Shields and he's only seventeen. He's also someone whose been aiding the Scouts, and protecting me, since the day I became Sailor Moon; he goes by the name Tuxedo Mask." She revealed.

"Beyond that he's also someone who was present in the past, someone very important and dear to me, the prince of the Earth; the man I loved very much. Like me he remembers his past, and we're together in this life as well. He's my boyfriend." She continued.

"He's also taking the martial arts classes with me, and we train together during the week after school before our after school classes, because he wants to help me be the best I can be and is well aware that I was no warrior in the past." She explained.

Ikuko listened to her daughter carefully and was surprised at what she was hearing. The older guy she had been concerned about was only seventeen, not the twenty something she had thought, and was actually part of her daughter's secret life. Was actually someone who helped her when she was out fighting those monsters, and who was a prince that she loved in the past.

"That piece of information is another reason for the privacy. I don't want Luna knowing about him being Tuxedo Mask or my prince considering she has made absolutely no mention of there even being a prince in the past." She continued.

"She obviously doesn't remember, just like she doesn't remember anyone else from the past, and I don't want that to change until me and my prince are ready. Especially since she seems to think he's an enemy because he works separately from us and doesn't stick around to talk after the fighting is over." Serena stated.

Ikuko blinked at that and frowned lightly as she wondered what exactly Luna knew since it sounded almost as if she didn't really know anything important.

Then she pushed the thought aside and considered everything she had just learned as she watched her daughter begin to glow white.

Once the light cleared the princess was gone and the warrior remained, but in the next moment she glowed again, this time pink, and when the light faded only her daughter remained in her gymnastics clothes.

Her worries were gone since all her concerns had been explained away by the revelation that her daughter was Sailor Moon, and apparently a reincarnated princess from the Moon.

The changed behavior was simply because she remembered her past as that princess and it had likely shifted her personality. The classes she was taking so seriously after school was to help her be a better fighter because she hadn't been a scout in the past.

And the older guy she had been so concerned that she was spending time with was actually a teenager, and also a warrior and reincarnated prince that had been connected to her daughter romantically in the past.

The injuries that had been increasingly worrying her were a result of fighting the monsters that were attacking people.

The only thing that confused her was the aborted phone call. What had that been about?

"What about the call? Who were you calling, and why did you feel the need to?" Ikuko asked.

Serena sighed lightly and sat back on the bed next to her mom.

"I was going to call Darien to let him know what was going on." She revealed. "He can sense when I transform and that lets him know that there's a fight, and that I need his aid so he will come to me. He always comes to me unless he knows ahead of time that I'm only going to be training."

"I wanted to let him know so he wouldn't come, but I realized that he had just dropped me off and wouldn't even be close to home yet." She explained.

"How can he sense when you transform?" Her mother asked.

"I don't know. I guess that we have some kind of link connecting us that must have started in the past." Serena said.

Ikuko looked at her in surprise, but before she could say anything the doorbell rang.

"That's Darien." Serena said as she got up. "I'll be right back." She said as she headed for the door.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer** **: I do not own Sailor Moon or her characters, and have no right to it except as a long time fan.**

Unexpected Restart  
Chapter Nine: Neflite Secured

As Darien drove away from Serena's neighborhood on his way home his mind was full of his princess as it usually was these days.

He thought her gymnastics class had gone well. Sitting on the sidelines watching as he was he had been able to see her and the other students moving around, but of course he was focusing on his princess and the way she moved on the different structures. That day she had worked on the balance beam and the uneven bars.

She had looked so good standing on the high beam, stretching her body in various ways, trying out spins and flips. There had been some falls but nothing major as she had gotten very good with her balance.

And the uneven bars. Seeing her body swinging and circling on the bars in the air, stretched all the way out as she moved around each bar, her legs and arms fully on display even covered as they were. Even her hair moving attracted his eye; though she didn't have it completely lose in the twin streams as was her want.

Although he found it amusing that even then the instructors and other students found it amazing that with the way she tied it back it still didn't get in her way. His princess was used to dealing with her hair when it was completely loose at its full length, so it must be very easy for her with it tied up as she had it.

He'd noticed though that since starting the class she had yet to really work on the floor dance. He thought she would do really well on that one since she could jump high with being a scout. Add in the springiness of the floor and she could do a lot of flips.

 _Maybe she's worried about the dancing part or is just really focused on the things that will help her as a scout_. He considered thoughtfully. That was the point in taking the class after all. _I'll have to find out, and if I'm right I'm going to have to remind her to have fun with the class as well_. He told himself, but before his thoughts could continue he suddenly sensed her transform.

His eyes widened in surprise since he knew she was still at home. In fact, he was so surprised that he nearly slammed on the brakes in the middle of the street; there hadn't even been time for her to leave her house yet!

His heart raced. Was there an attack near her house or had the Negaverse somehow found out her identity? They'd been very careful with how they had rescued Jedite, so that couldn't be how, and he was positive that they had completely removed the evil taint in him so he couldn't have done it.

Darien quickly pulled over, thankful that it was a quiet street, and parked before getting out. He quickly locked up his car and put his keys in his pocket as he ran for a more secluded spot to transform. Once he found it he transformed into Tuxedo Mask, and began to race back toward his princess' house.

He ran through the streets before leaping to a rooftop. Then he continued on, carefully and stealthily, leaping and running across rooftops, so the residents wouldn't hear him running across their roofs and no one would look up out their windows to see him.

Just as suddenly as he sensed her transform he abruptly sensed that she wasn't transformed anymore, but his senses were still leading him to her house so he continued in that direction.

Darien stopped two houses away from hers and saw that all was quiet. There was no attack, no one screaming or running, no damage anywhere.

He looked to her house and saw the lights on and everything looking fine, but he needed to be sure. He knew she wouldn't just transform for nothing. She only transformed for training and dealing with attacks.

She wasn't training at this time of night. He knew that for sure. She would have told him if she had planned a night time session, and there was no fight going on but he still needed to be sure. He needed to know that his princess was safe; especially in her own home.

He jumped off the roof he had been perched on and moved to a spot where he couldn't be seen before he released his transformation. Then he walked along the sidewalk toward her house. Once he reached the front door he rang the doorbell and anxiously waited.

The door opened moments later to reveal his princess looking perfectly fine.

* * *

Serena stepped forward and immediately wrapped her arms around his neck in a close hug.

"I had to tell my mom my secret." She whispered in his ear, and his eyes widened slightly as he wrapped his arms around her. "The talk my mom wanted to have was about her concern over my change in behavior and personality, my seriousness with my after school classes, and coming home injured."

"She was also concerned about you as well. She thought you were older than you are, and that you were likely the one giving me the injuries." She added.

Darien gasped at her words; surprised and outraged. He would never hurt his princess, but he supposed he could understand where her mother was coming from with her concern.

All she had known was that her daughter had suddenly changed, and was spending time around a guy that looked older, and was coming home occasionally with various levels of injuries.

"We're talking in my parent's bedroom so Luna won't know what's going on. I even used my crystal to prevent any sound from leaving the room, so I'll lead you up there." Serena said, still whispering.

Darien nodded silently as she stepped back, and he stepped inside the house and closed the door. Then he followed her up the stairs, neither speaking to keep Luna from coming to investigate, and down the short hallway to a closed door. She opened the door and they both stepped inside before she closed the door behind them.

"Good evening." Darien said calmly to Mrs. Tsukino, and then sat in the chair that Serena brought over from the side of the room.

"This is Darien." Serena said, gesturing to her prince, after she returned to her seat next to her mother. "Like I said earlier he's also Tuxedo Mask and my Prince Endymion." She added before she looked to Darien. "This is my mom; Ikuko Tsukino."

"Hello." Ikuko said as she looked at him. Seeing him up close and in person still didn't change the fact that he looked older.

"Hi." He said quietly with a nod, and she wondered if that was the tone he always spoke in or if he was nervous.

"So as I said before, he comes when I transform, and obviously here he is." Serena said.

"Can I see you as Tuxedo Mask?" Ikuko asked Darien. "Just to cement the truth in my mind."

"No problem." Darien said before he stood up and moved a few steps away from the chair and transformed. He was instantly surrounded in red light, and when it cleared he stood as the masked man.

Ikuko blinked in amazement as she stared at the masked man now standing in front of her. If she didn't already know who he was she would never have known. He looked older, intimidating, and mysterious.

She took in the full black tuxedo, the crisp looking white shirt and vest, white gloves and mask framing his eyes, the dramatic black and red cape, and top hat. He wore shiny black dress shoes, and even had a handkerchief in the breast pocket of his jacket.

"Oh my." She said as she continued to stare at him. She then looked to her daughter and saw her staring at him with a small smile on her face. "You're really this prince my daughter mentioned?" She questioned as she looked back to him.

Darien didn't speak; he simply began to glow with a golden light that hid his entire body. When the light cleared he stood in his royal form.

Ikuko blinked her eyes wide as she took in this warrior looking prince in his silver armor and navy blue uniform; knee high armored black boots and dangerous looking sword. She noticed that he still wore the black and red cape, and that it added to his look.

Despite looking like a fierce warrior he still looked royal. Not just with how he was dressed but with how he held himself; the way he stood, his head held high, and his calm confident expression.

She blinked and looked to her daughter but she was already getting up and stepping toward him. She watched her daughter hug him, clearly unconcerned with his armor or sword, and he wrapped his arms around her without hesitation and rubbed up and down her back.

She continued to watch as her daughter turned around in the circle of his arms to face her, a content look on her face, and he continued to hold her tightly yet gently as he leaned down and kissed her cheek.

 _They aren't even concerned about being hugged up right in front of me. There's not even the slightest worry about me being Serena's mother_. She thought as she looked at them. Was it just because she now knew the truth or because of something else?

"You look very close." Ikuko commented. "Why are you so close already? You can't have been dating very long."

"I told you we remembered our past, and are together in this life as well." Serena said. "It isn't just memories we remember; the feelings and emotions we experienced were remembered and felt as well."

"I don't know exactly how much you've been told about our past, but back then relationships between the Earth and Moon were forbidden. So obviously we had to keep our relationship a secret." Darien added. "A few people close to us knew, but the people of our planets didn't. We didn't want to cause any type of unrest on our planets or war between our planets."

"Yes. There was no open courtship and planet wide celebration that we were engaged as it would have been had we been courting and engaged to one of our own planet or even to one from one of the other planets in the solar system." Serena said, and Darien nodded in agreement.

"Now that we've been born on the same planet and are free to express our affection openly without worry we aren't going to hold back. There's no need to pretend to be nothing more than friends, no need to be subtle, and no need to sneak around. We are free to be a regular couple." He said.

"At least as regular as we can be with our secret lives." Serena added with a smile.

Ikuko was surprised and sad at what she was hearing. She had no idea when Serena first mentioned being romantically involved with a prince in the past that it would be a forbidden love affair.

She wondered why relationships between the two planets was forbidden, but didn't think she should ask. She didn't want to bring up bad or painful memories.

"I understand." She said, and watched as they returned to their seats; Darien returning to his normal clothes in a brief golden flash.

"There's something I was wondering." Ikuko said, and Serena nodded slightly for her to continue. "Why do you, as the Moon Princess, need protecting?" She asked, and listened to her daughter sigh lightly.

"The royalty of the Moon wield and protect an extremely powerful object called the silver crystal. There are many power-mad beings out there, usually with evil intentions, that want it." Serena explained. "That would be very bad considering what the crystal can do, so I protect the crystal and the Scouts protect me."

"You actually have the crystal?" Ikuko asked as her eyes widened.

"Yes." Serena said as she nodded.

Ikuko watched as her daughter gestured with her hand and out of nowhere fell a pink wand with a gold crescent moon on top with a sparkling silver crystal attached to the inside of the crescent.

She could hardly believe what she was seeing. Her daughter was in possession of a powerful crystal that could probably, more than likely, do things she could only imagine; and probably things she couldn't imagine as well.

"Well. I don't know what to say. None of this is certainly what I thought I would hear when I asked to speak to you." Ikuko said, feeling overwhelmed.

"You're actually a warrior." She said as she looked to Serena. "And so are you." She added as she looked to Darien. They both nodded, and she ran a hand through her hair as she wondered if there was anything she wanted to ask.

"What about that message in the sky from a few days ago?" Ikuko asked. "That man that demanded the Sailor Scouts go to the airport; who was he, and what happened with him and that situation? Did you go?" She asked her daughter.

"I did go; along with Amy and Raye, and Darien came separately from us but he was there as well." Serena answered, but hesitated before she looked to Darien and tilted her head slightly in question.

"We should tell her because I might need Julius to take you home for me at some point." Darien answered, having understood what she wasn't saying.

Serena nodded, understanding that he didn't want any problems if Jedite escorted her home and her mom recognized him from the message in the sky. That made her wonder anew about her dad, and what he had seen of the message, and what he might have noticed about her.

She held in a sigh and looked to her mom, seeing the slight concern on her face at their exchange.

"His name is Jedite and he was part of our enemy; the Negaverse." Serena said. "Before I continue I want you to know that what you're about to hear is also something Luna and the girls don't know. This is strictly knowledge only me and Darien know." She added seriously.

Ikuko nodded as she looked back and forth between them, wondering what new secret she was about to learn, and why it was being kept from the others.

"Jedite is actually one of Darien's Guardian Generals." Serena revealed. Ikuko gasped in shock, and Serena nodded. "His Generals are like my Scouts; they were charged with his protection. Unfortunately they were brainwashed, both in the past and again in the present, to believe they were part of the Negaverse." She explained.

"Serena had the idea to free them from the Negaverse so I can have my guardians back since she thought it was only fair to have mine since she was getting hers." Darien continued. "The night Jedite made his demand was the first chance we had to attempt to free him without the Negaverse or the Scouts knowing."

"We fought him while the girls were busy dealing with his distraction, and we managed to capture him and Darien immediately took him to his apartment." Serena said.

"After Serena joined me we put our powers together and broke the connection Jedite had to one of the leaders of the Negaverse, and removed the evil taint from his body." He explained. "Then I unlocked his memories of the past, and that was that. Jedite woke soon after, and after some talking he resumed his role as one of my generals."

"Oh my! This is unexpected." Ikuko said. Her daughter's boyfriend had generals like she had scouts to protect him, and her daughter had wanted him to have them back. She had wanted them to be equals.

"How were you able to unlock his memories?" She asked Darien.

"Like Serena I have my own powerful crystal; my golden crystal." He revealed.

Ikuko gasped and then her eyes widened as she watched a golden crystal the same size as her daughter's appear, hovering over the palm of his hand, sparkling prettily.

"We used our crystals to free Jedite completely from the evil influence of the Negaverse and unlock his memories; something we intend to repeat with my other generals as soon as the opportunity comes." He explained.

Ikuko nodded and watched as he put his crystal away, presumably back where it came from.

"How many generals do you have?" She asked.

"I have four generals." He answered, and she nodded.

"Why do you call him Julius and Jedite?" She asked the couple.

"His name in the past was Jedite, but the name he was given by his parents in the present is Julius." Darien said.

"We all decided to use our present names when in public and around those who don't know the truth, and our past names when we're in private and around those who do know the truth." Serena added.

"Ah." Ikuko said in understanding. "Luna also doesn't know about the generals." She said as she looked at them.

"She does not." Serena confirmed. "She doesn't remember there was an Earth Prince, and definitely doesn't know anything about his generals."

"Should she see Jedite she would know he had worked for the Negaverse, and instantly think anyone with him was part of the enemy." She continued. "Who knew what she would think if she saw me with him. She'd probably think I was changing sides and couldn't be trusted; definitely couldn't be trusted with the protection of the Moon Princess."

"Couldn't this all be solved by just telling the cat?" Ikuko asked as she shook her head.

"It could, but I'm not ready yet; because of the reasons I told you earlier, and especially with Luna's behavior." Serena said. "I'm also realizing that Luna doesn't trust my instincts. She told me to use my instincts during my first fight, but Luna doesn't seem to want to believe what I say when it contradicts what she herself says and thinks." She explained.

"I understand." Ikuko said as she nodded.

Darien remained silent on the subject. He still thought if Luna's behavior continued she should be removed from influencing Serena's Scouts. This wasn't the past; Luna didn't have to remain her advisor. In fact, she _wasn't_ her advisor. She had been an advisor to the Queen, not his princess.

Serena sighed. "Does dad really not have any concerns? He didn't notice any of the things you did?" She asked.

"He didn't. As far as I know he hasn't noticed anything or if he did then he doesn't think anything of it." Ikuko said. "I think he hasn't noticed because he only really sees you for short periods before and after work. He doesn't have the chance to really notice."

"I haven't said anything to him about my concerns, because I wanted to talk to you first. I wanted to hear your explanations without his instant reactions clouding everything." She explained.

Serena nodded. She was unsure if she wanted her father to know, but the same issue with her mom recognizing Jedite applied to him.

"Did he see the message in the sky?" She asked.

"He did." Ikuko answered.

"You don't want to tell your father." Darien said as he watched her.

"I don't. At least not anytime soon. Maybe months down the line, but not right now." Serena said. "He won't react calmly like mom has. He would, as mom said, react instantly, and I don't need that right now. It would certainly alert Luna to what's going on, and I definitely don't want that." She explained.

Both Darien and Ikuko nodded in understanding.

"Well, I don't have anything else to say or ask right now about everything I've learned. Maybe after I've had time to think about it." Ikuko said. "One thing I can say right now is that although I worry for your safety I'm proud of you." She said to her daughter.

"You're helping people and growing more mature by the day. I can't wait to see where it leads you in the future." She added. _Of course she has the maturity, memories, and feelings of a princess; likely an older princess at that_.

"Thank you." Serena said as she hugged her mom. She had made the right decision in telling her mother the truth, and her mother had done as she thought she would; she had been able to handle the truth.

"Well, it won't take me long to prepare dinner. Will you stay and eat with us?" Ikuko asked Darien. "I want to get to know you. At least who you are in this life considering Luna's in the house." She added.

Serena smiled in appreciation that her mother remembered that.

"I would love to learn about who you were in the past when we can be assured of privacy, because from the way you two speak I get the impression that those lives intermingle more then I currently understand." Ikuko said. "The same goes for you." She added as she looked to her daughter, and both Serena and Darien nodded.

"I would love to stay for dinner." Darien said.

 **~~uUuUu~~**

Friday morning found Luna sitting out on the railing of her charges bedroom balcony not long after she had left for school. She sighed as she idly looked at the view of the houses around her.

It had been a few long and exciting months since she had first found Serena and awakened her as the scout of the Moon. She thought they had made good time with finding two more scouts. Amy as the scout of Mercury, and Raye as the scout of Mars.

Both girls were doing well as far as she understood. She had to go off of what they said since she had not been to a fight beyond Serena's first fight. She had seen the beginnings of Amy's first fight, but she hadn't actually been inside the building to see the majority of it. And of course Raye's first fight had taken place in another dimension, so she hadn't seen that one either.

Still, the reports of each fight let her know that all three girls were doing well as scouts. The training they were doing was apparently working well in their favor, and they were working well together.

They were even doing well in school and in their studies, which was a good thing since they needed to be intelligent and make good decisions in their protection of the Moon Princess.

The only thing she could complain about in regards to their companionship together was that they weren't spending as much time together as she would have liked.

 _Although Serena is clearly spending every moment she can with her boyfriend_. Luna thought in aggravation.

She had noticed the young man's arrival last evening, and him and Serena walking into Serena's parent's room and closing the door. She had wondered why they had gone in there and tried to find out, but couldn't hear anything through the door.

She had searched around the house but didn't see Mrs. Tsukino anywhere, and wondered if she had even been in the house. And if that meant Serena and Darien were alone in that room.

 _What were they doing in there, and alone at that? Is that why they didn't come to Serena's room? Because Serena knew I was there, and they wouldn't be alone?_ She wondered before she shook her head.

 _That was completely irresponsible of her. To be in a room alone with a boy, and in her parents' house, in her parents'_ _bedroom_ _no less_. She thought before she sighed.

Luna didn't know what the girl had been thinking, but decided to move her thoughts away from her for the moment.

She instead considered the fact that they had learned a nice amount of information about their enemy. The Negaverse. Jedite was a general working in the Negaverse, and according to what he said he was under the command of a Queen Beryl.

Luna assumed she was the leader of the Negaverse; if there was another person or being above the woman they had yet to learn it. They also knew that the Negaverse or at least the general Jedite was collecting human energy on Queen Beryl's behalf. Why they needed energy or what they planned to do with it they had also yet to find out.

The general Jedite had been defeated, but already there had been an attack so someone else had obviously taken his place on the quest to collect energy.

Then there was Tuxedo Mask. The mystery man that arrived at every fight, and assisted the Scouts in defeating the monsters.

They had no idea who he was, where he was from, or what his motives were. All they knew was that he had mentioned the silver crystal and he never stayed after the monsters were defeated.

Serena claimed he wasn't an enemy and that he could have been in the past, but she just wasn't sure of that at all. In fact, she just didn't believe that. If he had been in the past why would he act so mysterious?

The girls identities were a secret when they were fighting, but they weren't mysterious about it. They weren't sneaking into fights and disappearing after it was over. His behavior was suspicious plain and simple, and that made him an enemy. She didn't understand why Serena couldn't see that.

She just didn't understand Serena sometimes. The girl had pointed out that she didn't really remember anyone from the past or what they looked like, but Luna had instincts and they were telling her that he was an enemy not to be trusted.

Luna shook her head; putting those thoughts away for the moment. The information they had so far and the incidents that had been happening with Serena had her thinking about all the girls and their duty.

 _I think it's time the girls had a leader; especially a leader among their peers_. She thought. _There are enough of them, and it will help the girls learn how to listen and follow orders for when the Princess is found. It will also be good if the leader is in place when the next scout is found_.

Luna shifted in her seated position slightly and decided to go through the qualities and characters of each girl to help her choose. She would start first with Serena, then Raye, and lastly Amy.

Serena was a good student, smart, calm, and friendly. She was good at talking to people and understanding them, and took her duties as a scout seriously. She was even taking classes after school to help toward that, which she thoroughly approved of.

However, she didn't like that Serena challenged her knowledge and didn't take her at her word. She felt the only one who had the authority to overrule her and make decisions for the Scouts was their Princess.

She was there to guide and advise them, and Serena acted like she knew better than her and didn't need any guidance or advice. That was not a good quality to have in a leader. A good leader needed to know how to follow and accept guidance and help.

Then there was Raye. She was a quiet, calm, and unflappable young woman. She was slow to trust, but once you had it she was loyal. She was also smart and spiritual, and also took her duties as a scout seriously.

She had seemed like somewhat of a loner from what Luna saw before the fire scout was awakened, and she wondered if that would eventually cause problems among the team. That was something that would be disastrous. They couldn't have a scout going rogue; especially once the Princess was found.

Finally there was Amy. She was quiet, a bit shy, but friendly and very intelligent. She was also dependable and a good listener. Just like Raye and Serena she took her duties as a scout seriously. She was always asking questions and making connections, and storing information into her minicomputer.

Although she was friendly it seemed the only friends she had were Raye and Serena. She supposed that lead back into her shy nature, and thought that could be taken care of with time and more socializing.

 _She's someone the girls will listen to because of her intelligence, and she would make good, smart, decisions and not be unwilling to listen to advice_. She thought conclusively before she began to review her thoughts on the girls.

 _I believe I might be ready to make my decision, but I'll spend some time with Raye and Amy separately before I announce anything_. She decided. She wanted to get to know the two girls better, and seeing them in their own homes was the best way in her opinion.

Luna looked back to the closed balcony doors and leapt over to the tree in the front yard and made her way down to the ground. Once there she calmly walked away, and began to make her way to Amy and Serena's school to meet Amy there.

 **~~uUuUu~~**

That afternoon Serena walked toward the park where she usually met up with Darien for their workout and training.

She was of course happy to be seeing him, but she would be even more so since they would get to spend time together without any obligations that day. Since early that morning she had been informed by a phone call before she left for school that their martial arts classes were canceled that day and would be back in session on Monday.

She was sure Darien had received the same call, so now they just had to figure out what to do once their training was finished. Or with it being a Friday if they wanted to continue their training in a more secluded area, and work more extensively on their physical fighting and techniques.

Serena walked into the park and in no time at all spotted her prince and Jedite sitting in the grass stretching and talking.

"Darien; Julius!" She called, making sure to use Jedite's present name, and waved as she held the strap of her duffle bag.

The two young men looked over and waved at her, and she put her bag next to Darien's and jogged over to join them in the grass.

"Hey." She said in greeting. "How are you guys?" She asked as she began to stretch.

"I'm good." Darien answered.

"I'm fine, but still adjusting." Jedite said, and she nodded.

"What's giving you the toughest time?" Serena asked.

"The double life." He said. "What's it like living a sort of double life since I'm in the process of starting to do just that?" He asked, remembering that in the past being a general was his life, and now it was like a secret side thing.

"For me it's a strange balance. It's like I'm living my normal everyday fourteen year old life, and at the same time I feel like I'm this older warrior princess. Except that only the two of you know about the extent of that warrior princess life." She explained.

"Being with Darien only helps to bring out that warrior princess more. He understands me, and makes me feel older and more mature." She added.

"I'm the same way in a sense. I go to school with others my age, have a job, and a girlfriend. Then on the other side I'm a warrior prince, fighting alongside my princess, working to save my generals, and spend as much time with my princess as possible." Darien said as he looked to Jedite.

"She understands where I'm coming from and where I want to go, and that makes all the difference in how I'm able to handle living both sides of this life." He finished.

Jedite nodded his understanding and was quiet as he thought over their words. He thought he needed to get his regular normal life together, so his secret life could be balanced out.

 _That means I need to decide if I'm going to go to school or get a job since I now have a past history and all the papers to prove it_. He thought.

Of coursethat also meant he had to get his secret life settled. He was once again a guardian general to his prince and could protect him, but there was a problem that he had noticed after hearing about the last fight Endymion and his princess participated in.

"You two don't want the Scouts and Luna knowing about me and the others yet, so how am I supposed to help you fight without being recognized?" He asked. "Everyone has seen me thanks to that illusion I put over the city, and even if that wasn't the case Mars, Raye, saw me at her temple and will surely recognize me."

Serena and Darien looked at each other. Serena had honestly thought he wouldn't even be out fighting with them until all the generals had been freed, and Darien had simply not considered the issue at all beyond keeping his generals presence a secret until all of them were free.

Serena looked to Jedite and then back to Darien, and shrugged slightly as if to say 'he's your general; it's your choice'.

"There should be a sort of glamor built into the transformation so you can't be recognized just as we aren't recognized when we transform, but I would prefer that you not participate in any of the fights until the others are free." Darien said as he looked to Jedite.

"Your presence, and sticking close to me, will only create a situation that Serena can't explain to the others. She'll obviously trust you and welcome your aid, and that will have Luna and the others looking at her differently and questioning her." He explained. "She doesn't need that with Luna already believing I'm another enemy they need to be careful of."

Jedite grimaced and nodded. What his prince was saying made sense. He wanted to be out there with Endymion, fighting by his side, and protecting him as he was supposed to. Fighting alongside Serenity and the Scouts he was going to be working with in the long run, but he understood that his presence would cause problems at this point.

They had already said that no one knew that Serenity was the Moon Princess they were looking for, and that they didn't even know about Endymion; he wasn't even on their radar as someone to look for. They needed to keep things quiet and simple until the time was right.

"I understand. I'll just train and prepare myself for when it's time for me to join the fighting." He said.

"Thanks for understanding." Serena said.

"No problem." Jedite said with a smile.

"Alright. Let's get started." Darien announced, and they all got up and began to jog around the wide area. Jedite having been told of their routine by Darien before Serena had arrived.

After a lap their jog shifted into a run and they each circled the area as many times as they were comfortable with before they slowed into a final jogging lap and stopped. They each stretched out their legs when they were finished, and once they were all done they began to take turns sparing with each other.

First it was Serena and Darien as they were used to, then after resting and stretching a bit Darien and Jedite took their turn together. When they finished and Jedite had rested he and Serena took their turn at sparing against each other.

Serena was pleased to learn that Jedite was much more challenging to fight now that he remembered who he truly was, and as a result she was learning new techniques and ways to maneuver around.

When they were all rested from their individual fights they grabbed their bags and headed to the more secluded area that Darien and Serena were used to, and placed their bags off to the side next to a tree.

They each transformed; one surrounded in pink light, the other in red, and the last in blue until they stood as Sailor Moon, Tuxedo Mask, and General Jedite.

"Have you tried to use your powers yet?" Serena asked Jedite as she looked to him.

"No. This will be the first time." Jedite said, and she nodded.

"I'm curious about what you can do since I never knew in the past." She said.

Jedite grinned, his gray eyes bright, and rubbed his hands together in excitement.

"Keep it light since we want to keep a low profile, and not draw attention to ourselves." Darien added quickly.

Jedite sighed in disappointment at having to limit himself, but nodded anyway since he did understand. He decided to start simple with his barriers. He narrowed his eyes slightly and instantly a transparent red lavender tinted barrier sprang up around him.

Serena hummed and poked it with a gloved finger, and felt the resistance that was as strong as the invisible one she had run into the night he was freed.

"How strong is it?" She asked as she looked to him, and watched him smirk.

"Let's find out." He said.

Serena smiled and pulled her tiara off, and charged it up as she backed away; seeing Darien shake his head lightly as he stepped away from Jedite.

She threw her tiara at him, and it flew straight and true toward his chest but slammed into his barrier instead. It bounced off and she quickly guided it around toward his back and it bounced off the barrier there as well.

"Can you make it invisible?" She asked, summoning her tiara back to her as she walked toward him. She remembered that was how it had been when he was fighting against them.

He nodded and instantly it went from its red lavender color to invisible as if it was no longer there. She stopped next to him and poked toward him, and once again felt the resistance of the barrier.

"Can you make it larger or smaller?" She asked.

"I suppose it's possible but I don't remember trying that in the past. I guess it's something I'm going to have to work on." Jedite said, and she nodded.

"Can you put it over other people or is it a personal barrier only?" Serena inquired.

"It's only a personal barrier." He said. "We can all make them, but if I recall correctly only Malachite could make protective barriers for others." He added, and she hummed thoughtfully.

"That's something to remember." She said, before she stepped back to give him room for whatever else he was going to do next.

Jedite lifted his arms and focused until a strong breeze began to ruffle his pale blonde hair and cape before it began to move around his body. He narrowed his eyes slightly and transparent red lavender wind began to swirl around his arms and hands. He then shifted his focus and the wind shifted until mini tornados of the same color spun just above his palms.

"Wow." Serena said as she watched.

"And yes I can take away the color so it can't be seen right away." Jedite confirmed before she could ask.

"Cool!" She said as she grinned, imagining how his ability to control wind could mix with Amy and Raye's abilities with fire and water.

She watched as he pointed one of his hands toward a tree off to the side and suddenly a subtle whirlwind was cycling around the tree, ruffling its leaves and branches. She could tell he was only doing it lightly and could make it more forceful, and she thought that particular move would work well with Raye's fire.

Julius stopped the whirlwind and then gathered a sphere of air into his hand and launched it at the same tree, and they all watched as it slammed into the trunk with a light thud.

"I can make the impact harder, but I don't want to damage the tree." He said, and Serena and Darien nodded.

He then waved his hand at the ground and they watched as the ground and grass was cut up by red lavender tinted blades of wind the size of basketballs.

"That's it. Anything else I can do is too big and noticeable for the area." He said as he released the wind.

"Think of more smaller ones; use your imagination. The wind is your companion; yours to control." Darien said, and Jedite nodded thoughtfully.

"I want you to practice moving through tree tops as if you're avoiding attacks." He continued as he looked to Serena. "It will help with your balance, dodging, and the very real possibility of having to do that very act in the future should there be an attack in a wooded area." He explained.

Serena nodded as she looked to the trees, and looked back to him as he spoke again.

"I'm going to practice with my sword. It's something I haven't touched in this life yet, and I want to get back into the habit." He said.

"I should do that as well." Jedite said. _I wonder if I can add my wind power to my sword, so I can use them both at the same time_. He thought.

"Alright then. I'll see you guys later." Serena said before she dashed off and jumped up into the branches of a tree at the edge of the clearing, and moved further into the trees and out of their sight.

Jedite moved to the side, away from the trees that Serena had disappeared into so he wouldn't risk hurting her with his wind attacks, and once again silently called on the wind to come to him.

Darien watched his general for a moment before he moved to the center of the clearing and summoned the sword he always carried with his royal uniform. He sighed lightly as he felt its heavy yet familiar weight in his hands.

He brought his free hand up and grasped the hilt beneath his other hand and lifted his sword so it pointed straight up toward the sky. Then he took a single step forward and swung his sword to his left as if he was blocking an attack as he began to go through his sword techniques.

 **~~uUuUu~~**

Serena sat clothed in her stretchy white quarter sleeve tank top and black legging pants stretching on the ground off to the side of the uneven bars waiting for her turn on the structure.

The weekend and the first day of the week had passed quietly and without anything eventful happening. The only thing of real note that had taken place was Luna's disappearance from the house on Friday.

She hadn't even had a chance to really start questioning why she wasn't around when Saturday morning training came around, and Amy was informing her that Luna was at her place and had decided she was going to spend some time with her.

They had all thought that was strange since Luna hadn't done it before then, but didn't see anything wrong with it.

Although Serena asked Amy to make sure that she was able to have an animal in her building and wouldn't get in trouble. Thankfully Amy could have pets she just had never had the time or attention to take care of one.

Serena had also warned Raye that she was probably next with what Luna had said about wanting to spend time with Amy. Raye had grimaced but nodded and said it was highly likely.

But now she was in the middle of her gymnastics class, Darien off to the side of the room watching as he usually did, and was having fun; something that her prince had reminded her to do with the classes she was taking.

She had already worked on the balance beam when the class first started, and had tumbled and bounced around on the dance floor. Darien had been right when he said she would be good at the floor dance. After her run on the floor he had told her she looked elegant and graceful and of course confident in her movements.

She had liked that. She had based a lot of her movements on dancing she had done in the past, and she had been pleased with how it turned out. Now that she wasn't so focused on her jumps and landings her movements flowed so much better, so much easier.

Serena stood up and shook her body a little and moved back and forth on her feet to keep herself stretched and warmed up and ready to go.

She looked over to where Darien was and saw him looking at her already. She smiled and waved and watched him wave back before she looked back over to the uneven bars just in time to see the girl on it finish.

She grabbed some chalk and dusted her hands, and looked up as the instructor waved her forward then stepped up in front of the lowest bar.

Serena took a breath and then leapt up and grabbed on to the bar. Once she was sure of her grip she began to swing herself back and forth to gain some speed and momentum before she lifted herself up until her stomach touched the bar, then swung herself back down under and over the top of the bar, her body stretched and her legs pressed together as she had been instructed to do.

She bent her legs at her waist and put the bottom of her feet on the bar as she swung back under it and stood on the bar briefly before she pushed off and grabbed on to the higher bar.

She swung fully up and over it and twisted on her next rotation so she was facing the opposite direction before she twisted back to the direction she started in. Then she took a breath as her body swung up and she released the bar and tried a flip and a half twist, which she thankfully succeeded at, before she grabbed on to the bar and swung back down the way she came.

Then she released the bar again and did a fully stretched backflip and grabbed onto the lower bar and swung down and around it before she twisted to face the direction she had just come and swung back down before she reached the halfway point.

Her body rotated and as she reached the top she released the bar and lifted and stretched her legs into the splits as she went over the bar, her legs a few inches from touching the bar, and grabbed back onto it, then swung down and released it again as she swung up and reached for the high bar.

Just as Serena latched on to the high bar she heard her communicator going off. Her eyes widened and she knew she had to abort the rest of what she had planned to do and finish quickly.

She lifted herself up until her stomach touched the bar and then let herself swing back down and around, then twisted herself as she rotated over the bar, and finally swung herself around the bar three times to gain momentum before she released the bar then did a tucked spinning flip and touched down on her feet.

She stumbled as she landed but was unconcerned as she hurriedly moved off to the side and out of the way of the next girl's way and toward Darien.

"My communicator is going off." Serena said as she dropped next to him and quickly began to pull on her socks and shoes.

Darien's eyes widened and he grabbed both their bags and got to his feet. When she finished putting on her shoes he grasped her hand and helped her up, and they hurried from the large room and out of the building altogether.

They jogged a block away from the gym, and Serena pulled out her communicator as she stopped and squatted down while Darien stood in front of her blocking her from view.

"Serena here." Darien heard Serena answer her communicator, and he glanced down to his hand at his own communicator, and wondered which fight this was going to be and if Neflite would be there.

 **~~uUu~~**

Amy and Raye met up after school to hangout and study together. It was a nice day so Amy suggested they go to the park and find a spot there.

Raye had agreed so Amy led her to her favorite park, and they sat in the grass near the shade of a tree and pulled out their study materials. They talked about this and that as Amy studied and Raye got started on her homework.

"So how's living with Luna going?" Raye asked. She wanted to get an idea of what she was going to face. She already knew the grief Serena was or had gone through. Finding out Amy's experience so far would be a help.

"It's...interesting." Amy answered. "She watches me a lot; watches me study and do my homework, as I talk to my mom, and probably when I'm asleep as well."

"She's also been asking me questions. How I like being a scout, what I think of the teams overall dynamic, what I think of our progress with the Negaverse, and our progress on finding more scouts." She continued.

"She's also asked me about how I'm doing in school, how I interact with my fellow classmates, and if I have anyone I'm friendly with that isn't Serena." She finished.

Raye frowned slightly. At first it sounded like Luna just wanted to know what Amy thought of being a scout, but with those other questions she sounded nosy. What did it matter how she talked to people at school and if she had friends? That had nothing to do with her scout life.

"That doesn't sound so bad, but I don't like that Luna is trying to concern herself with your life outside of being a scout. I wonder if Luna will complain or try to make you change if she doesn't like it." She said.

"Luna hasn't really said anything after I answer, so I don't know if she doesn't like what she hears." Amy said. "Considering the problem she has with Serena spending time with her boyfriend do you think Luna doesn't want us having friends besides each other?" She asked.

"I'm not sure, but I don't think so." Raye said. "You and Serena are good friends with one of your classmates, and Serena hasn't mentioned her complaining about her hanging out with that girl."

"Although that could be because she's focused on the fact that she has a boyfriend." She added.

Before Amy could reply they heard girls screaming and they looked over to see a couple of girls running from what looked like squirrels as an older man yelled at them.

"That's the park caretaker." Amy said. "I've never seen him angry before; especially not at some teenage girls."

"What about those squirrels?" Raye pointed out. "That's not normal behavior for those animals."

Amy gasped suddenly. "Look at him!" She said.

Raye looked up from the animals back to the old man to see him glowing with a dark light before it centered around his hat, and some kind of black red energy started to come out of it as the man collapsed to the ground.

When it solidified it turned out to be a monster. It had a female figure with light purple tinted skin, small dark brown roots for feet, long bushy dark green hair, white markings on its face, and large pointed ears.

It had on a thick blue necklace, a shiny bronze tinted halter armor top and light green skin tight leggings that stretched from beneath the armored halter down to its ankles with green leaves around its wrists and ankles.

The two girls stared in shock at what they were seeing before they scrambled to put their things away and find somewhere to transform.

They ran and saw a large bulldozer and figured that was big enough to conceal them, so they hurried behind it and made sure no one else was around before they pulled out their transformation pens.

"Mars Power." Raye said firmly.

"Mercury Power." Amy said quickly.

They were immediately surrounded in a blue and red swirling light, and when it cleared they stood as the Scouts they were.

Sailor Mars immediately pulled out her communicator and pressed the button to contact their absent fellow scout while Mercury kept watch to see what the monster was doing. She looked around the vehicle they were hiding behind with Mercury, and saw the monster walking casually along the grass.

It was taking Serena some time to answer, but she wasn't worried since she knew she was in one of her after school classes and would need time to get away.

 _"Serena here."_ She heard her finally answer.

"There's a monster that's just taken an old man's energy just like with what happened with the girl at the tennis court." Mars reported.

"It's sending out animals to attack anyone left in the park." Sailor Mercury called lightly.

"Did you hear that?" Mars asked.

 _"Yes."_ She heard Serena say calmly. _"Where exactly are you?"_ She asked.

"We're in a quiet fairly large park that isn't too far from the arcade. It has demolition trucks and equipment here." Mars said.

 _"Okay. I'm on my way; Serena out."_ She heard her say, and put her communicator away.

"Are you ready?" She asked Mercury.

Mercury nodded and they hurried out from behind the vehicle and toward the monster.

 _Mars Fire Ignite_. Mars thought as she launched a ball of fire at the monster as they ran, catching the monsters attention.

The monster dodged out of the way, the fireball sailing harmlessly by it, and brought up its hands. Large pink flowers bloomed, replacing its hands, and a ball of green vines shot out toward each of them; opening suddenly to reveal themselves as nets.

Both scouts quickly dodged, thankful that dodging was something they had recently practiced during training.

 _Shine Snow Illusion_. Mercury said in her mind, and shot a stream of snow toward the monster.

Mars lifted her hands to attack as well, but was suddenly swarmed by butterflies. She made a surprised sound and waved her arms around as she tried to move away from them, but they just continued to follow her.

The monster spun away from the snow attack, and shot another net toward Mercury who sidestepped the vines and activated her goggles to try and find the weakest spot to hit the creature.

As the balls of nets shot toward her she continued to dodge, and searched the monsters figure for a weakness but she wasn't really seeing one. So she decided to focus on the flower hands, so it couldn't shoot out nets anymore.

 _Shine Snow Illusion_. She said in her mind, and once again snow came shooting out of her hands toward one of the monsters hands.

Mars waved her hands this way and that way trying to get the butterflies away from her, but no matter how long or hard she waved her arms and hands they continued to fly at her.

She hated to use her fire since she knew they were being controlled, but she didn't have a choice if she wanted them to stop so she could focus back on the monster since Mercury was dealing with it alone.

She used her _Mars Fire Ignite_ attack repeatedly, and burned bunches of the butterflies at a time until they were finally all gone.

Mars breathed a weary sigh and looked at the burnt remains of the once beautiful butterflies and frowned.

 _This monster needs to be stopped before more animals are hurt and killed_. She thought before she lifted her hands, her fire bow appearing. _Mars Flame Sniper_. She said internally as she fired off her arrow.

The fiery arrow cut through the air toward the monster, and she ran forward and to the side so the monster would have to split its attention between her and Mercury.

The monster dodged out of the way of the snow, spinning away, but suddenly cried out in pain as something hot slammed into its side. It looked down and saw the remains of fire flickering over its armored halter top. It lifted its head and saw the other scout had gotten rid of the butterflies and was back in the fight.

It shot a net at the red scout before it turned its head toward the blue scout, and tilted its head forward and shot its hair, which turned into tentacle vines, at her.

Mercury quickly skipped back, her eyes widening as she watched the formerly bushy hair suddenly morph and stretch into vines that rapidly snaked toward her, growing increasingly longer.

She lifted her hands and opened her mouth to fire off her snow attack, but blinked in surprise as a glowing white disk flew through the air and watched as the tentacle vines dropped to the ground.

* * *

Sailor Moon ran forward and caught her tiara as it returned to her.

"Are you okay?" She asked Mercury as she came to a stop near her, and watched her nod.

Mars was able to see Sailor Moon arrive and intercept the attack headed for Mercury, and was just about to dodge the attack headed her way when a rose pierced the ball and exploded in a shower of tiny pieces of vines.

She blinked and looked to her right as Tuxedo Mask landed on the ground near her.

"You good?" He asked.

"Yeah. Thanks." She said.

He nodded and they both ran over to join Mercury and Moon. The Scouts and Tuxedo Mask then stood, spaced to give each other room, facing off against the monster as it glared at them.

Suddenly scores of birds were flying over the trees, squirrels by the dozens were scrambling along the ground, and balls of vines were all coming at them. They all quickly moved back and scattered to deal with whatever came in their direction.

Sailor Moon immediately took off her tiara and charged it, dodging the vine ball that had obviously been meant for her, as she saw a majority of the squirrels coming in her direction.

 _Moon Tiara Stardust_. She thought as she launched her tiara.

It sailed through the air over the squirrels sprinkling glittery dust. She guided it back and forth over the little animals as they slowed until they stopped completely and started to scatter in fright.

She caught her tiara as it came back to her, and then turned her attention to the birds. There were a lot of them, but she had to stop them so they could focus on defeating the monster.

 _Please help me to stop these birds; aid me in freeing them from the monsters dark control._ She called to her silver crystal.

Moon felt her crystal pulse warmly inside her and her tiara suddenly began to glow a bright white, to the point where it looked like the power was bleeding off it. Instinctively understanding what to do she threw her tiara hard and high into the sky before she knelt on the ground and closed her eyes.

As soon as she did it was as if she had a birds eye view from her tiara, and she mentally guided it through the air, over the birds and around in wide circles as it rained down what looked like glowing raindrops instead of glittering dust.

Mars quickly stepped back and brought her hands up, her fiery bow appearing in an instant, and launched her _Mars Flame Sniper_ attack at the ball before firing another fire arrow at the monster.

The ball exploded, raining pieces of burning vines to the ground, and the arrow headed toward the monster was unfortunately intercepted by one of the birds.

 _Shine Snow Illusion_. Mercury thought instantly as she brought her hands up, and aimed a stream of snow at the ball. It froze and dropped to the ground, and then she reluctantly froze the birds that were diving toward her.

They froze instantly and dropped to the ground like rocks then, after making sure no more birds were diving at her, she turned her snow attack toward the monster and fired.

Tuxedo Mask threw a rose at the vine ball headed for him and then threw a hand full more toward the monster hoping to distract it, and watched as its hair turned to vines and moved through the air snake-like to deflect the roses.

Still, it was enough to distract the monster, especially as Mercury and Mars also attacked it, so he took advantage and rushed toward Sailor Moon who was kneeling on the ground with her eyes closed. She was vulnerable and he didn't like it one bit.

As he ran he looked around and noticed the squirrels were all gone and the birds were slowly flying away and not at any of them. He looked up and saw white lights sparkling in the sky, and knew that was the reason why his warrior princess was vulnerable.

He stopped in front of her before turning to face away from her and pulled out a hand full of roses and launched them at the monster, providing distraction as it dodged Mercury and Mars' attacks.

Once Sailor Moon was sure all the birds were gone and no longer under the monsters control she summoned her tiara back to her and thanked her crystal, feeling the warm pulse of acknowledgement as she opened her eyes and began to stand up.

The first thing she saw was Tuxedo Mask's cape, and then she blinked and caught her tiara as it sailed in a curve through the air toward her.

"Thanks for the protection and the cover." She said softly.

"No problem." He said.

"We have to get rid of this monster before it takes control of any more animals." She said as she moved around to his side. "Trying to free them from its control is too dangerous with there being so many at once."

"True." Tuxedo Mask agreed.

"I'm going in to help." Sailor Moon said before she ran forward.

She took off her tiara, quickly charged it, and launched it at the monster as she ran toward it. The monster dodged it, and irritatingly dodged Mercury and Mars' attacks as well.

The monster growled as it dodged this way and that way as fire and snow came at it. When it couldn't dodge it used its hair to flick the attacks off course. It tried to fire its nets at them, but they were running around like rats; seemingly keeping on the move as they attacked so they wouldn't get hit by its attacks.

The monster glared in frustration; the animals it had been controlling were somehow removed from its control, so it didn't even have that to help in taking down these annoying girls.

As Tuxedo Mask watched the fight waiting for a chance to attack without hitting one of the scouts he looked around to make sure no one was coming back to the area to see what was going on and end up getting themselves hurt.

And his eyes widened as he spotted Neflite standing off, further back in the trees, watching from a distance. His hair was brown, stretching halfway down his back, and just as thick and wavy as he remembered, and he wore a dark gray suit with what looked like a light yellow or tan shirt.

He narrowed his eyes as Neflite turned and began to walk away. He took off, dashing away from the fight and into the trees in Neflite's direction to see where he was going.

He followed subtly to make sure he wasn't noticed, and stopped in the trees as he saw him walking among the cars until he got to a red sports car. He opened the door, got in, and began to drive off.

Tuxedo quickly knelt down on the ground and placed his hands in the grass, and closed his eyes as he used his power to see through the Earth. He locked onto Neflite's car and focused as he tracked him through the streets to see where he would go next.

The Sailor Scouts subtly began to circle around the monster as they moved closer and closer to it.

Mercury sent her _Shine Snow Illusion_ attack at the monsters legs and feet, hoping to keep it from moving and dodging their attacks.

Mars used her _Mars Fire Ignite_ attack to throw fireballs at the monster to keep it from noticing what Mercury was trying to do. She aimed for its flower hands hoping to stop it from shooting those vine balls at them as well as distract it.

Thankfully it worked. Mercury's attack froze the monster from the legs down, and even though Mars missed the flower hands she still got a fireball in one of its arms and shoulders.

Sailor Moon with her tiara already in hand, and charged, threw it as soon as Mars' fireballs hit the monster. It sailed through the air toward the monster, and it tried to use its tentacle hair to knock it away, but she guided it around the snake-like appendages and right into the monsters chest.

It screamed in pain and clawed at its chest before it slowly stopped moving, and its screaming tapered off and it began to lose its color until it was ashy gray.

"We need to get out of the area before people begin to come back." Sailor Moon said as soon as the monster crumbled to nothing. "Before you leave the area check on the victim." She added as she looked to Mercury.

The girls nodded and all three of them split up and ran in different directions.

 **~~uUu~~**

Sailor Moon had spotted Tuxedo Mask dash off just before they began to finish off the monster, so she was running in his direction to catch up with him and see what had caught his attention.

A few long moments later she spotted him kneeling on the ground with his hands flat in the grass and his eyes closed. She slowed to a stop near him and walked the rest of the way and stopped at his side as she looked around, deciding in an instant to stand guard as she waited for him to finish.

The minutes passed slowly as she looked around before glancing down to his still form and back to the area around them. No one was around or coming in the direction, which she was grateful for since she didn't want to have to run someone off; especially not a civilian just moving through the park.

A few more minutes passed after nearly half an hour before he finally stood up and looked to her.

"I saw Neflite and followed him here to what appeared to be his car." Tuxedo Mask revealed. "I didn't want to follow him on foot so I decided to use my power to follow him and see where he went. He drove out to what looked like an old abandoned mansion in the middle of some woods."

Sailor Moon gasped as her eyes widened.

"Are we going to go get him?" She asked.

"Yes. I don't want us waiting for him to show himself at a fight before we can rescue him." He answered, and she nodded.

"I'm ready; lead the way." She said, and he nodded and turned and began to run.

They ran through the city, Tuxedo leading her through quiet streets and up to rooftops, and over multiple rooftops as they avoided the main busy streets on their way to the woods in question.

A half an hour passed before they reached the thick woods and began to weave their way through the tall trees deeper into the tall forest on their hunt for the currently dark general.

They followed the road and eventually moved away from it and followed along a side road until they spotted the old mansion. It was dark colored and at least three stories tall but possibly four in total, and parked out front was a red sports car.

"Is that his car?" Sailor Moon asked quietly.

"Yes." Tuxedo Mask answered as he nodded slightly.

They looked back to the mansion, their hearts racing as they realized they were about to free another of his generals, but they were hesitant to go inside.

"What if he knows we're trying to get inside, to breach his base of operations?" She asked.

"What if he's not alone or not even in there anymore? Obviously being part of the Negaverse means that car isn't his main mode of travel." He added before he knelt down.

"I'm going to check to make sure he's still here, and alone inside that mansion." He said.

Within moments his hands were pressed down in the grass onto the ground, and images of people, buildings, and places flashed through his mind before he focused on his present location.

From there he concentrated on seeing inside the mansion, and instantly saw empty rooms and finally into what appeared to be a high ceiling chapel room where Neflite stood alone.

"He's there and alone." He said as he released his connection. "The mansion is empty of furniture of any kind. He clearly isn't living there, so it really is only his base of operations."

Sailor Moon sighed as she looked back to the mansion.

"We're going to have to go in. The only other thing I can think of is to make some kind of commotion to bring him out here." She said as she looked to him, and he nodded.

"But there's no guarantee that he'll actually come outside." He said, and she nodded. "I can guide us through the mansion to Neflite's location, but we need to pick an entrance." He said, and she looked to the large house.

"Did you happen to see any open windows?" She asked.

"Unfortunately not. We're going to have to either pry one open or use one of the doors." He said.

"We should use the door furthest away from the room he's in." She suggested.

"Okay." He agreed.

With their decision made Tuxedo carefully lead them around the house to the back toward the back door. Once they reached it he took a breath and cautiously turned the handle. He didn't expect it to be locked and it wasn't, so he slowly eased the door open not wanting it to squeak.

They held their breath as they waited for something to happen, to let them know they had been detected, but thankfully nothing happened.

They went inside, closing the door behind them, and they moved around carefully as they made their way cautiously through the hallways and stairs until they reached the chapel room Neflite was in. The doors were wide open and they peeked in to see him standing with his back to them his head tilted back as he looked up through one of the large windows.

Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask nodded to each other before they silently stepped into the room and stood next to each other as they stared at the man's back.

"Neflite." Tuxedo said calmly, and the man spun around in surprise.

Sailor Moon hid her relief that they hadn't been detected in any way, and looked at him now that she had a clear view.

He was wearing the same dark gray uniform that Jedite had worn, but with yellow accents instead of red, epaulettes on his shoulders, and knee high black boots. But the look in his eyes let her know that he was firmly in the grip of the Negaverse.

Neflite's surprise was complete as he stared at the pair that stood across the room from him. He had not heard them or sensed their presence in the house until the man spoke, but then he had not expected to be confronted here since it was abandoned. It was why he had chosen the place to operate.

Then he frowned as he realized the masked man knew his name. How did he know? How had he been _found_ for that matter? He glared at them, already knowing he wouldn't get any answers. He would not go down like Jedite. He was nobody's fool!

"Why are you here? Where are the other Sailor Scouts?" Neflite asked angrily.

But neither Tuxedo Mask nor Sailor Moon replied. There was no need for words. They knew what they were there for, and words wouldn't do any good against him.

"So what, are you here to assassinate me? I won't be as easy to kill as Jedite was!" Neflite said, and with that said he immediately shot a white energy ball out of his hand at first the masked man and then the scout.

Tuxedo Mask and Sailor Moon dodged to the side, away from each other, and avoided the energy balls. He pulled out a hand full of roses and threw them at Neflite who responded by clasping his hands together, and multiple blasts of white energy shot out toward them.

Sailor Moon took off her tiara as she dodged the energy balls headed her way and charged it up, not even sure she was going to use it directly on Neflite since she didn't want to seriously hurt him.

She wished she had something other than her tiara to use, because unlike with Jedite this wasn't a physical fight since Neflite didn't seem to want them to get close enough for such an action.

Tuxedo moved back as his roses and the energy balls that intercepted them exploded then he moved forward, but had to move back again and dodge just as quickly because Neflite sent more energy balls at him.

Clearly he didn't want them getting closer to him, as if that was going to stop them. It wouldn't. He was determined to get Neflite and free him from the Negaverse and Beryl's evil grip that day.

He took out another hand full of roses, irritated that he didn't have anything else to use. He could use his golden crystal, wouldn't mind using it, but he didn't want to on the off chance Neflite got away. If he did manage that he wouldn't be able to report that he had such power at his disposal.

Neflite kept the energy balls flying wanting to keep them at a distance. He could fight physically but he didn't want to chance them pulling out some attack that would surprise him so he couldn't react quick enough.

They were already doing a good job avoiding his energy balls, but it couldn't last. They couldn't avoid them indefinitely.

Moon frowned at all the energy balls and threw her tiara into the air and guided it around, slicing through them and causing them to dissipate. She decided she would take care of the energy balls, so hopefully Tuxedo could focus on getting closer to Neflite and engage him in a physical fight.

 _From there if he can weaken him or just distract him enough I can catch him in my boomerang. Or maybe simply get close to him where he can't see and put him to sleep then_. She thought as she glanced to the guys.

Tuxedo threw his roses at Neflite as he dodged energy balls and slowly moved closer to him, trusting his princess to stop the attacking balls from somehow circling back to him. Neflite dodged the roses but Tuxedo saw that as a positive since he had just been standing there before, allowing his energy balls to stop the roses.

Neflite growled lightly as he dodged the flowers. It seemed the masked man was no longer worried about his energy balls; he was only dodging them when he first shot them, and was leaving them for Sailor Moon to deal with once they passed him by. And she seemed to be getting better at dissipating them as time passed and able to get to more of them.

In addition to that he was now having to dodge the flowers instead of letting his energy balls slam into them, because Sailor Moon was taking out his energy balls before they could hit the roses.

He decided to try and cast an illusion to distort the area and disorient them, but before he could do it the masked man finally made it to him and threw a punch that he had to quickly block.

Sailor Moon seeing that her prince had managed to engage Neflite in a physical fight set her tiara to idly circling above them, ready to react to the first hint of an energy attack. She was also ready to transform it into her boomerang, and set it to trap Neflite so she could put him to sleep.

Tuxedo swung his leg around and kicked Neflite in his side after the man had blocked his punch, then moved his head to the side to avoid a punch to his face, and kneed him in his stomach.

Neflite groaned in pain but elbowed him hard in the chest, obviously trying to gain some room, but Tuxedo stayed on him and backhanded him across the face sending his head to the side and his hair flying.

Neflite turned his body with his head and swung his leg around to try and trip up the masked man, but he jumped over it and swung a back kick at him that he just barely dodged.

Sailor Moon took the opportunity, with the space that was just made between the two guys, to bring her tiara, instantly turned boomerang, down toward Neflite.

She ran forward as her boomerang enlarged and slipped over Neflite's surprised head and further down to his arms, her eyes glowing white as the power of her silver crystal surged up inside her. As the band tightened around him, containing him, her hands began to glow as white as her eyes.

Neflite's eyes widened at the sight of her glowing eyes and hands.

"What the hell?!" He said in shock as he automatically tried to step back. He was quickly prevented as the masked man grabbed his lower arm and stood behind him, and took a hold of his other lower arm as well.

Sailor Moon stopped in front of Neflite and raised her hands and gently put them to the sides of his head. She quickly focused on wanting him to sleep, to sleep until she woke him up, before he decided to try and kick her away. He struggled but the white light still sank easily into his skin, and his eyes closed and he began to collapse.

Tuxedo held him up and Moon released her power and retrieved her tiara from around him before Tuxedo lifted him into his arms.

"Directly back to your apartment?" She said questioningly.

"Yes. I don't want to stick around the mansion in case someone from the Negaverse decides to unexpectedly visit the general." He answered, and she nodded and stepped back.

Both of them gathered their powers and focused on a location inside his apartment before he disappeared in a brief golden flash and she in a brief white flash.

 **~~uUuUu~~**

Tuxedo Mask appeared in his quiet living room in front of his balcony window with his heavy passenger in his arms, and had enough time to blink before he watched Sailor Moon appear in a brief flash of white light.

He blinked again and quickly began to move away from the window doors since his curtains weren't closed, and walked down the short hallway and into the guest bedroom since he had left the protection he put up around the room from when Jedite had been rescued.

He placed Neflite on the bed, arranging him so he was comfortable, and then released his transformation leaving him in his workout clothes from earlier. He looked over across the bed and saw his princess, who had followed him, release her transformation as well leaving her in her stretchy form fitting gymnastics clothes.

They both summoned their crystals, his hovering above his hand and hers attached to the crescent wand in her hand, and nodded to each other that they were ready. They closed their eyes before white and gold light filled the room as they began the process of freeing Neflite from the evil grip of the Negaverse.

Once again Darien targeted the evil taint in the general's body. He visualized it in his mind, once again recalling the look and feel of the dark energy that had been used on his own body before he'd been brought to that time, and guided his power to remove it and heal Neflite's body.

He moved his power over and through each limb of his body, careful not to miss an inch and potentially leave behind any taint that could get another foothold into the man.

Just as she did last time Serena focused on the connection between Neflite and Beryl. She inspected the dark chain her crystal projected in her mind, seeing that just as it was with Jedite the chain was wrapped around his whole body but centered around his head.

She took a slight breath and guided her power toward the chain, cutting here and there, until it began to fall away, and then bathed each piece with her power until it was purified and faded until it disappeared into nothing.

Within minutes Darien sensed his princess' power join his in removing the evil taint and healing Neflite speeding up the process.

As they had noticed with Jedite the taint was strong around Neflite's mind indicating that he had highly likely been brainwashed. Together their power flooded Neflite's body, moving through and working in sync to remove all traces of the evil taint.

Minutes maybe hours passed; they were unaware either way, so completely focused on their self-appointed task as they were. Finally they were seeing a clean purified body, free of any trace of the dark evil taint that had practically dominated his being.

With that done Serena gently removed her power from the mix, and Darien focused all his attention on unlocking his general's memories of the past.

He concentrated on needing Neflite to remember the past, to recall who he truly was, to remember his fellow generals. He needed the man to remember that he was his prince, who Serenity was, and just how important she was to his prince.

With his mind focused on what he needed to happen his crystal began to work, the golden power flowing and swirling around the general's mind as it searched for and freed up the long suppressed memories its holder wanted to surface.

Serena opened her eyes as she finished pulling back her power and stepped back. She crossed her arm over her chest and grasped her upper arm, her other hand still holding her crescent moon wand, as she watched her prince work.

Golden light glowed from his and Neflite's body, though the light was darker around the general's head, but she focused on the man that was hers. He was so handsome, his workout clothes not at all taking away from his attraction, and using his power as he was just reminded her all over again how powerful he was.

They trained and worked hard, but their true power couldn't be seen when they fought against the monsters. So it was nice to see his power on display, and be in the presence of its warm light.

 _Perhaps we should do something about that. I would certainly like some kind of power that doesn't involve using my tiara or wand as a conduit_. She thought as she watched Darien. _My prince probably doesn't like that all he has to rely on is his roses either_.

Beyond being handsome and powerful, her prince was so focused. Of course he needed to be, but it was just another characteristic of his that she loved. She especially loved it when he focused so intensely on her, which now that she was thinking about it was often.

He always listened to what she had to say and respected her thoughts and opinions, and he spent as much time with her as possible. He was always watching her, and touching her in some way; especially since their last date when they had shared their first intimacy in this life.

That was something she had been thinking about a lot. The feel of his hands on her, and the weight of his body on her even if it was only partial, and especially the pleasure.

Serena sighed lightly. He was the best and she was so glad that they had been given this second chance. She just knew that things would be very different if they had still been in their previous timeline.

Darien would have likely been dead or like his generals; brainwashed to believe he was part of the Negaverse. Even if he had lived and been able to be freed, there would have been no freeing his generals. It would have been too late for at least two of them.

Then there would have been the issue of Raye's feelings for Darien. That likely wouldn't have simply disappeared just because he was revealed to be Tuxedo Mask and the Earth Prince whom had been romantically involved with Serena in the past.

Raye likely would have justified it as being something that happened in the past. The present was a different matter, and he could choose someone else. She would have thought of her as a rival even if she was the princess she was supposed to protect.

Serena also doubted very much that she would have told her mother about her secret life or the truth of her identity.

And Molly wouldn't have been around. She would have continued to fade into the background as Serena continued to put distance between them.

 _That's another second chance that can happen. Molly and Neflite. Helping them meet, and seeing if the connection is there without the obstacles in their way._ She thought.

Serena watched as the gold light was drawn away from Neflite and her prince open his eyes. They were a beautiful solid gold that faded away as he pulled his power back inside himself.

"Are you all done?" She asked, just to be sure.

"Yes." Darien said with a nod as he put his crystal away, and she nodded.

"I want to tell Molly my secret; I want to tell her everything; including about the time travel." Serena said.

"Why?" He asked as he walked around the bed toward her.

"I don't like how our friendship pretty much ended the first time around, because of my secret life and pressure from Luna and the girls. Molly's my best friend, well my best _girl_ friend since you're my best friend, and I want it to remain that way." She explained.

"I also want Molly to be happy. I don't know if you remember but Molly fell in love with Neflite, and it appeared like he did the same before his death." She added.

"I remember you telling me when you first came back and we had that long conversation. I remember you mentioning that Neflite gave his life to protect her." Darien said.

He knew all about taking hits for and giving his life to protect the one he loved, so he knew his general had definitely fallen in love with the red head.

"I'll help you do the explaining if you want." He said, and she nodded gratefully.

"I would like that." Serena said.

Darien then lifted his hand and pressed the blue gem on his communicator to contact Jedite.

 _"Jedite here your highness."_ He heard him answer immediately.

"We have Neflite in my apartment." He informed him. "He's free from the Negaverse and will be waking up soon."

 _"I'll be right up."_ Jedite said.

"Alright." Darien said before he pressed the gem again to end the connection. He stroked his princess' arm briefly before he left the room to go let Jedite in.

Serena looked away from the empty doorway and to Neflite as she lifted and aimed her wand at the unconscious man.

She focused her mind on waking him up from the sleep she had put him in, and within moments a white light shot out of her crystal like a beam and gently hit his head for a few moments before it stopped.

* * *

Darkness and silence was the first thing that greeted him. Why was it dark? Where was he? Why was he there? Who was he? What was his name?!

He was confused and panicked, but took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. Nothing was going to get done or learned if he couldn't think straight.

Taking that breath let him know he wasn't in any pain and he could feel his entire body so he wasn't paralyzed. Another moment of thought and he understood it was dark because his eyes were closed. He wasn't ready to open them yet, so he continued with his thoughts.

He had no answers to his questions, so he needed to try and recall what he had been doing before he ended up wherever he currently was what with his eyes being closed. As soon as the thought drifted through his mind the memory came to him instantly as if it had just been waiting for him to do just that.

He stood in a large religious looking room, a chapel, that was empty and had seen better days. A masked man with black hair and deep blue eyes speaking to him, accompanied by a young woman in a sailor suit with long golden blonde hair up in a unique style. Sailor Moon.

A fight began with the pair avoiding and countering every attack he threw at them, and lead into a physical fight with the masked man. Then he found himself trapped in some kind of glowing circle that Sailor Moon used.

Then she came at him with eyes and hands glowing white, and touched his head making everything go dark. And that was it. Now he was here, wherever _here_ was, and he still didn't know who he was or what in the world his name was?!

Before his thoughts could continue down that depressing route more memories suddenly began to come to his mind; faster and faster, but completely understandable.

Living in a dark society, working for a dark queen, dealing with creatures, and competing against three other men dressed in the same uniform he wore. All for the sake of world domination.

Being told one of the three men was dead and he was now in charge, and eventually sending out creatures to gather energy for the Queen who commanded him. Watching a fight between the creature he sent out and fighters working to stop his creature. Three young women in sailor suits and a masked man.

Sailor Moon, Sailor Mars, Sailor Mercury, Queen Beryl, Jedite, Malachite, and Zoycite. The names flowed through his mind, whispered alongside the memories, which seemed to trigger a whole _new_ set of memories.

A large palace, his own suite of rooms, and hours and hours of training and talking with three men wearing the same thing he was. Training with a man with black hair and deep blue eyes dressed in a uniform and armor, pledging to protect and serve his prince and future king, and watching from a subtle distance as the black haired man sat on a bench with a woman wearing a white dress with incredibly long hair up in a unique style.

More scenes played through his mind, one after the other in rapid succession yet completely understandable, bringing with them words, phrases, sounds, feelings, and emotions. The more he saw the more he remembered, and the more he remembered the more he began to understand.

He was Neflite, guardian general to Prince Endymion, one of four men charged with his protection, and he had unfortunately betrayed him.

Neflite grimaced slightly as he realized he had betrayed his prince not only in the past, but also in the present before he had even met him again.

He finally opened his dark blue eyes and blinked the blurriness away before he began to look around what he was quickly realizing was a bedroom.

There was a guy standing on one side of the bed he was apparently lying on looking out the window, and on the other side of the bed leaning against a wall talking quietly was a young man and woman.

He blinked and realized he recognized all of them. The guy at the window was Jedite, his fellow guardian general, which was surprising since he had believed he was dead; killed by the Sailor Scouts and the masked man.

Then his common sense kicked in and he realized since _he_ obviously hadn't been killed then he shouldn't be surprised that Jedite hadn't either.

The pair leaning against the wall was his prince, Endymion, and the Moon Princess Serenity. He also recognized them as Sailor Moon and the masked man he had fought against.

Neflite frowned as he realized he had been fighting his prince in an effort to kill him. Why hadn't he remembered? Why didn't he recognize him in that chapel?!

"You're awake." He heard a masculine voice say, and he looked over and saw Jedite moving toward the bed he was lying on. He turned to the pair and saw them move away from the wall and step toward him as well.

"Yes." Neflite replied as he sat up.

"How are you feeling?" Serena asked.

"Slightly disoriented, tired, and a bit confused." Neflite answered. Likely because it was sinking in that she was a sailor scout when she certainly hadn't been one in the past.

"Give it time; it should all clear up soon enough." Darien said.

"How am I here? How is _he_ here?" Neflite asked as he gestured toward Jedite.

"We freed you both of course." Serena answered.

"I spotted you watching the fight and decided to follow you when you left." Darien elaborated. "I tracked you from the fight scene to that old mansion, and we obviously confronted you. It was the first chance we had to free you, and we didn't want to wait for another." He said, and Neflite nodded, thinking that made sense.

"Thank you. It's been a long time since my mind felt clear." He said.

"You're welcome." Darien said while Serena simply smiled.

"You're freeing us all." Neflite said in a questioning tone after looking around.

"Yes. My princess wanted me to have my Guardian Generals back and I agreed with that, so that's what we're doing in between fighting monsters and awakening her Scouts." Darien said, and watched as he looked over to Serena.

"What's that all about? You being a scout?" Neflite asked. "I don't remember you being a scout in the past."

"Luna, a feline advisor of my mothers, started looking for the Scouts. She found me first and I can only guess that she must have sensed the power inside me to think I was a scout since that hasn't happened with the others." Serena said. "Still, I had no problem with it since I wanted to be a scout."

"Why?" He asked.

"To be able to relate to my Scouts and my prince." She answered. "On top of that I wanted my Scouts to fight and behave a certain way, and I could only assure that if I took charge of them myself."

"None of them, the Scouts nor Luna, are aware that she's the Moon Princess." Darien added seriously, and Neflite's eyes widened.

"What? Why?" He asked in shock.

"Because I don't want them to know." Serena said simply. "I want them to get to know me, like me, and respect me for who I am now, and not simply accept me because I'm the princess they're supposed to protect."

"That's understandable." Neflite said as he nodded.

"Along with not knowing her true identity they have no idea about Endymion." Jedite added.

Neflite's eyes widened again, and he looked to each of them to see if he was serious. All three of them nodded.

"They're going off what the cat's telling them, and apparently she doesn't even remember that there was a prince of the Earth. Let alone that the two royals are connected." Darien explained, and Serena nodded.

"At present Luna is intent on thinking of his masked persona as another enemy despite my reasonable arguments to the contrary, which is another reason why I'm keeping silent about my true identity." She added.

Neflite was surprised, and all he could do was shake his head in disbelief. He very much doubted Endymion was doing anything that could get him labeled as an enemy; especially one on par with the Negaverse.

"We know what happened to Jedite in the past and in the present to make him end up with the Negaverse; so how did it happen with you?" Darien asked him, deciding to change the subject.

Neflite sighed.

"In the past I took to following the sorceress, _Beryl_ apparently, around when I wasn't chaperoning the two of you" He said as he looked to Serena and Darien. "when I noticed her interest in Endymion, and realized she would always end up in the royal wing."

"She obviously had no business being there, let alone lurking around Endymion's rooms, and after running her off one too many times I went to Malachite to inform him and see what we could do about it." He explained.

"I was in his room and, after I informed him about her and what she was doing, the next thing I know I was thinking the people of the Moon were the enemy of the Earth. That Endymion had already been corrupted by their princess and was under their control, and that we needed to stop the Moon before they could take control of the Earth." Neflite said with a grimace.

"In the present I was taken from my family when I was seventeen." He continued. "I came home to find my parents and my little sister dead, but before I could even react monsters started coming out of every room at me."

"I tried to fight them off but there were too many and I was eventually knocked out from behind. When I woke up there was no thought of my family or where I was; I just thought I was where I belonged and doing what I had been raised to do." He explained as he shook his head slightly.

"I was clearly brainwashed in both times, but I don't know how it happened." Neflite finished.

Darien nodded silently, figuring he knew how; just like he had with Jedite. It was likely the same method that had been attempted with him before he had been brought to that time.

"The same thing happened to me." Jedite said, and briefly explained to Neflite what he had told Endymion and Serenity when he had first been freed.

"I'm sorry that happened to you." Serena said to Neflite compassionately.

 _He and the others didn't deserve that, but clearly they got too close to discovering Beryl's truth and had their minds manipulated to keep from raising the alarm_. She thought sadly. Although, she couldn't help wondering who had been brainwashed first; Malachite or Zoycite. She had a feeling it was Malachite.

"I'm sorry too. I wish I had been able to prevent it or avoid it altogether." Neflite said before he looked around at all of them.

"Beryl told me that Jedite had been killed by the Sailor Scouts, but thought the masked man had more to do with it than the Scouts." He informed them. "I was ordered to take over Jedite's duties, which was to gather human energy."

"Then either Zoycite or Malachite will be taking your place." Jedite said, and Neflite nodded in agreement.

"What's your present name?" Darien asked.

"Maxwell." Neflite answered promptly, remembering it instantly, and Darien nodded.

"We all go by our present name when out in public or around people who don't know the truth about us, but we're fine answering to and using our past names with each other." He explained.

"My name's Julius." Jedite said.

"I'm Serena." The secret princess of the Moon said.

"I'm Darien." The secret prince of the Earth said.

Neflite nodded, committing the names to memory.

"Okay; what now?" He asked.

Darien gestured with his hand and suddenly a silver ring and a red bracelet appeared in his hand before he held them out to Neflite.

"Do you still want to be one of my generals?" He asked.

"Of course." Neflite said as he nodded.

"Then these are for you." Darien said. "The ring is a communicator and the bracelet is for transforming; to bring out the general in you that Beryl's evil taint never touched in the past or present."

Neflite took the items and looked them over curiously as he listened to his prince explain how they worked. He took in the dark silver of the ring and the gems, already guessing that each color represented one of his fellow generals and prince since both Endymion and Jedite had a ring on, before he slipped it onto his left middle finger.

He then looked to the masculine looking bracelet. It was dark red braided leather, in a triple wrap braid, with a silver earth symbol- a circle with a cross inside, secured in the middle of the center braid.

He liked the look of it and immediately slipped it over his hand and onto his right wrist, and watched as it shifted until it fit securely around his wrist.

"Alright. Let's try this out." Neflite said with a nod.

He shifted, tossing his legs over the side of the bed toward Jedite, and got to his feet. He lifted his wrist slightly, looking at the bracelet, and focused on who he was in the past. On wanting to be that man again; on once again being a guardian general to his prince so he could protect him and prove that he was worthy of this second chance.

The earth symbol on the bracelet almost immediately began to glow, and seconds later he was surrounded in red light that swirled around his body until he had to close his eyes at the brightness.

Jedite, Darien, and Serena did the same, and when the light cleared they opened their eyes to look at Neflite and saw that he was dressed differently than he had been moments before.

He now wore a light red long sleeve top with dark turquoise lining that was cinched at the waist with a thin black leather belt, white pants, and tall black armored boots with an added front length to protect his knees.

In addition to that a white cape with a red inner lining hung from his shoulders secured by gray and turquoise fastenings, and a dark brown leather crisscross sword belt hung around his lower waist and hips securely holding a sword resting in its black sheath on his left side.

Neflite looked himself over, seeing that his communication ring was still visible on his finger, and could hardly understand how he was feeling. He was pleased and honored to be back in the uniform he had worn for most of his life in the past, but he was also ashamed of what had happened to him and felt as if he wasn't worthy of it.

 _I'll just have to work hard to make myself feel worthy right alongside proving that I am_. He thought firmly before he looked to Jedite and then his prince and back to Jedite.

Jedite nodded with a smile and moved back out of the way, and Neflite stepped pass him and around the side of the bed before he knelt on the floor in front of his prince and placed his arm across his chest.

"I Neflite, present day Maxwell, Knight of intelligence and comfort, swear on my honor to once again serve and protect you and those you hold dear to the best of my ability and with my life." He said, the words coming to him instantly, instinctively, as he looked up to his prince.

Darien smiled gently, his eyes flashing with satisfaction as they instantly began to glow gold, and knelt down and placed his hand on top of the one on Neflite's chest.

"I accept and welcome you." He said.

As the words left his mouth his hand began to glow gold. The light immediately spread from his hand to Neflite's before sinking into his skin. He knew, just like with Jedite, that his crystal was once again assuring that his general could never again be influenced as he had been.

Darien stood back up, his power returning back inside him, and smiled as he returned to Serena's side. Serena returned his smile, happy that another of his generals was truly back on his side.

 _Two down, two to go_. She thought quietly.

Neflite stood and decided to try his powers to make sure they still worked. He lifted a hand and watched as a deep jade green glow appeared before a red hibiscus flower grew in the palm of his hand.

He nodded in satisfaction before he released his power, the flower remaining, and released his transformation; frowning as he returned to the uniform he wore in the Negaverse. He needed to find something else to wear since he couldn't go around in the uniform he wore as a general like he had in the past.

"Is there anything else I need to know?" He asked as he sat on the end of the bed, pushing his hair back over his shoulder.

"Yes." Darien said. "We're currently in my apartment, but I've rented out two more in the building for all of you. Jedite is living in one now, and you can either live with him or take the empty one. Beyond that I'll be paying for the apartments and everything else you need until you all are up on your feet."

"We'll also be providing you with a past and history, so you'll be able to work and go to school or whatever else you want to do now that you're free." Serena said, and watched him nod.

"Thank you." Neflite said to both of them.

All three then joined Neflite, _Maxwell_ , on the bed and began to inform him of what had been happening starting when Luna first came across Serena and told her she was Sailor Moon, to each proceeding scout and how they were awakened, and to their duty of finding the remaining Scouts; that they were to awaken them and find the Moon Princess and protect her.

Then they explained Darien becoming Tuxedo Mask and Serena ditching Luna after the first fight and helping him remember who he truly was. How Jedite's rescue had gone, and how they were keeping both his and Jedite's as well as the other general's rescue and presence a secret until the time was right.

"You can be seen with us while around the girls, but unfortunately Jedite can't since they would recognize him because of his previous actions." Serena said, and Neflite nodded.

"So we won't be going out to fight with you." He said as he looked to the couple.

"No." Jedite confirmed. "I was unhappy about that as well, but they explained how it would make things difficult for Serenity."

"We mentioned before that Jedite would be recognized, but in addition to that you guys would be gravitating around me which would make you be seen as enemy's right alongside me." Darien elaborated.

"That might make the girls question Serena since she's gotten them to see me as someone who could have been in the past with them. We don't want them to start listening to Luna and thinking of me as an enemy." He explained.

"And therefore seeing us as enemies as well." Neflite said as he nodded.

"Exactly." Serena said as she nodded seriously.

They then explained their training schedules. How Serena and Darien trained after school every weekday, with Jedite now joining them, and had martial arts, and gymnastics in her case, classes after that. And how on weekend mornings Serena trained with her Scouts, and they, like her, trained on their own during the week after school.

From there they went into the fact that Serena had recently informed her mother about her secret life, which included all of them and who exactly they were.

 **~~uUuUu~~**

Queen Beryl sat in her throne-like chair glaring at nothing. It had been a day since her connection to Neflite had been cut; since he had been killed.

There were hardly words to describe how furious she had been when she first felt the connection abruptly disappear. She'd instantly shot to her feet and killed at least a dozen of her minions that had been in the room with her.

How could he have been taken down so quickly? It had only been his second attempt to gather energy from her understanding.

Now, even though she'd given herself time to calm down, she was still angry. She was especially upset that she had now lost two of her generals. Both of them had failed her in the end, and that was unacceptable.

 _Still, it appears the Sailor Scouts are stronger than I thought if they can defeat my generals_. She thought reluctantly.

But she didn't understand that. How could they have defeated them? They were only little girls. Perhaps that masked man was giving them more aid then she thought. Perhaps _he_ was the one killing off her generals.

 _I'll have to warn my remaining generals to be careful as well as to not fail me_. She thought firmly with a slight nod to herself.

 _Zoycite! Attend me!_ She called, ready to get back to gaining energy. She watched him teleport in a moment later, and bow before straightening and looking to her.

"You called my Queen." Zoycite said as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Neflite is dead; killed by the Sailor Scouts. His death means I am down two of my generals." Beryl informed him.

"I want you to continue their work in gathering energy, and for you and Malachite to begin searching for the rainbow crystals so we can find the silver crystal." She ordered firmly. "If the Scouts are that powerful I'm going to need the power of the silver crystal to defeat them."

"If that leads you to find the Moon Princess then capture her as well." She added.

"It will be done as you say my Queen, and I will inform Malachite of your orders." Zoycite said.

"Do not fail me as your fellow generals have. I will not tolerate failure, so you had better do better than your comrades did." Beryl said coldly, and Zoycite nodded seriously.

"Watch out for the masked man." She added. "I suspect he has more to do with Jedite and Neflite's death than the Scouts do."

"Yes my Queen. I will not fail you. I will do better than them, and keep my eye on the masked man; and hopefully bring back crucial information about him." Zoycite said.

"See that you do." Beryl said seriously.

 **~~uUuUu~~**

A few days had passed since Neflite had been freed and it was now Saturday afternoon. Serena had trained hard with Amy and Raye, wanting a new attack, following up on her previous thoughts about hers and Darien's true power not being on display when they fought monsters.

That morning she had finally produced a new attack that didn't rely on her tiara with the help of her crystal.

The attack was called _Cosmic Starlight Illusion_. White light with a blue tint would gather in her hands, and launch out as dozens of marble sized energy stars that exploded against the target from various directions.

She'd experimented after first producing the attack and found she could focus the attack into a beam of blue white energy stars to hit the target straight on.

Serena was very pleased with her new attack, but now training was done for the day and it was time to focus her mind on her friend. She and Molly had made plans to meet up that day and hangout, so she was currently on her way to her house to pick her up.

As she walked down the sidewalk she couldn't help wondering how the day would go. She would be telling Molly the complete truth about her later in the day after they got in a decent amount of hanging out.

She had meant it when she thought how much she had missed Molly when she first arrived back in that time. She hadn't liked that she had to cut down on seeing her so much that their friendship of years had pretty much ended the first time around.

It really had never sat well with her when she had pulled away from Molly and hadn't been able to even give her an explanation of why their friendship was seemingly ending for no reason at all. Molly had been her best friend before Luna had come along and changed her life, and that shouldn't have changed because of her secret life.

Still, she understood why it had happened. She was immature, naive, and let Luna act as a parent that she needed to listen to. On top of that she had let Amy and Raye pressure her into pulling away from Molly; which was sadly helped along when Molly started getting hurt in encounters with monsters.

This time was definitely different. She had kept her friendship with Molly and had even strengthened it. Now it was time she trust Molly with her secret, so their friendship could be stronger and the best it could be.

Especially now that Neflite was free of the Negaverse. She hoped their second chance was better than their first.

* * *

It had been a few hours since Serena had picked her up, and Molly could easily say she was having a good time. They had gone to see a movie, shopped a bit, and talked and ate.

Now they were headed to Serena's boyfriends place because she said she had something she wanted to talk to her about.

Apparently Serena wanted privacy, but she didn't understand why it had to be at his apartment. Couldn't it be at either of their places or just a nearby park? No one would hear them there.

Molly didn't know, but it had her curious. What could she possibly want to talk about that needed such secrecy?

Now they were walking down a sidewalk almost surrounded by tall buildings with ten floors or more, and she couldn't help wondering if Serena's boyfriend lived in one of those buildings.

A few minutes later she got her answer when Serena moved off to the side and pulled open one of the glass doors to a building. They walked through the spacious lobby and Serena pressed the button for the elevator which opened immediately. Inside they went and Molly watched her press the button for one of the top floors.

Quiet moments passed and the doors soon dinged open and they stepped out into a quiet hallway. They walked along silently, passing the occasional door with a number above the peephole, until they stopped in front of one and her best friend was knocking on the door.

The door opened a few moments later to the sight of Serena's tall boyfriend, Darien, who smiled the instant his eyes landed on her friend.

"Hi. Come on in you two." He said, and they did just that, removing their shoes once they were inside, then began to move further into the apartment.

Molly blushed and looked away as she saw them kissing, and continued on toward what was obviously the living room on her own; feeling like she was intruding on their private moment.

"How was work?" Serena asked.

"It was okay, but I was distracted by what we're about to do." Darien said, and she nodded as they turned toward the living room and looked at Molly. "Are you ready?" He asked.

"I am." She answered firmly.

Darien nodded and they walked into the living room, Serena grabbing Molly's hand and sitting on the couch with her, as Darien sat in one of the side chairs.

"Do you remember the day you were attacked in your mother's jewelry store?" Serena asked her as she squeezed her hand lightly.

Molly nodded. Although she was confused about why that was brought up. She couldn't think of anything about that day that would require it being mentioned.

 _Except that's the day Serena decided to do better in her studies all around, but that definitely can't be why she's bringing that day up_. She thought.

Still, she remembered it and how she at first thought it was a dream, likely just her mind trying to cope, but soon after accepted that it had really happened. She'd been attacked by some kind of monster woman, and been saved by Sailor Moon.

"I was there, in the store that evening. I was the one that saved you." Serena said as she looked at her friend.

Molly blinked and frowned slightly. _What?_ She thought before her eyes widened in understanding.

"Are you saying you're Sailor Moon?" She asked.

"Yes. I became a scout only minutes before you were attacked." Serena answered seriously. "I was approached by a talking black cat and told that I was the scout of the Moon, and basically that it was my duty to fight the monsters popping up around the city."

"Not only that but it was also my job to find and protect the Moon Princess, a royal woman who was heiress to the throne of the Moon in the far far past, and that I needed to find and awaken the other Sailor Scouts so they can help me fight and find the princess." She explained.

Molly looked from her to Darien and back again.

"You're serious." She said.

"Completely serious." Serena said. "When I told Luna, the talking black cat, to prove what she was saying was true she produced a golden brooch, so I'll do the same for you."

Molly watched as Serena gestured in the air in front of her with her hand, and gasped as a golden brooch appeared in her hand. Serena held it out to her and nodded for her to take it, so she cupped her hands around it and picked it up into her palms.

It was the same round brooch she had been seeing on her school uniform top for months now. As she took in the large crescent moon on its face and various colored gems she couldn't help thinking that it was heavier then she expected it to be.

Molly looked to Serena who was watching her silently then looked to Darien to see he didn't look at all surprised.

"You already knew." She said and watched him nod.

"I became Tuxedo Mask because Serena became Sailor Moon. Although at the time I didn't know that." Darien said, and Molly blinked and frowned in confusion.

"I was unaware that I was the masked man." He added.

"I recognized him and after the fight was over I followed him when he left and helped him remember who he truly was." Serena said.

"How did you recognize him? Did you recognize him as Darien?" Molly asked.

"Yes, but only because I also recognized him as my prince." She answered.

"What?!" Molly said in surprise and confusion.

"Before Luna showed up I already knew I was the Moon Princess Luna was telling me that I was supposed to protect, and that there had never been a Sailor Moon in the past. There had only been the Scouts of Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, and Venus that were Guardian Scouts meant to protect the princess." Serena explained.

"Because I remembered my past, remembered who I was, I was able to recognize that the masked man calling himself Tuxedo Mask was the prince of the Earth; the man I had loved in the past." She said.

Molly blinked her eyes wide in surprise as she looked back and forth between Serena and Darien, gradually understanding what she was being told.

"Luna approached you and told you that you were Sailor Moon and that you had to fight monsters, find the other scouts, and find and protect this Moon Princess, but before Luna showed up you'd already remembered that _you_ were the Moon Princess, and that was how you were able to recognize Tuxedo Mask as the Earth Prince; because you remembered your past." She summarized.

"Yes. You have it exactly." Serena confirmed.

"She helped you remember your past and that you were Darien." Molly said as she looked to Darien.

"Yes." Darien agreed. "Before that I was just this guy in a tuxedo wearing a mask with the instinct to keep Sailor Moon safe; nothing more. It was like I was a blank slate beyond that."

"Wow." Molly said as she looked between Serena and Darien. Then she looked down to the brooch in her hands and handed it back to Serena. "There are two more scouts right? Mercury and Mars?" She asked.

"Yes. Mercury is Amy, and Mars is Raye." Serena said.

"So how did Luna react to learning you were the princess she said needed finding?" Molly asked.

"She doesn't know, and neither do Amy and Raye." She said. "I don't want them knowing until I'm ready to tell them."

"Why?" Molly asked.

"Because I want them to get to know me and respect me as just Serena and not the princess they're supposed to protect. I also want my Scouts to behave and fight a certain way and that could only happen if I took charge of them." She explained.

"Beyond that Luna's being a bit of a pain; not trusting my instincts and being unhappy about me spending time with Darien. Things she likely wouldn't have a problem with if she knew I was the princess." Serena said.

"But because she doesn't know you're getting true authentic reactions." Molly said, and Serena smiled.

"Exactly." She said. "Reactions I won't forget when my true identity is revealed."

"I understand." Molly said. "So when did you remember your past?" She asked.

"This is where things get a bit more complicated." Serena said as she looked away.

"Why?" Molly asked as she frowned.

Serena sighed heavily and tried to figure out how to say what she wanted to say.

"The same day I became Sailor Moon, that morning, I woke up confused, alarmed, and panicked because things in my room were in different places then they were when I went to sleep. I wasn't even wearing the same pajamas." She finally said as she looked back to Molly.

"Beyond that I was missing something that was very important to me, that I had with me when I went to sleep, and immediately started looking for it. In the process I came across some class notes, and realized they were months old." She continued.

"Once I checked the calendar I realized the notes were for the day before, and I understood fairly quickly that I was somehow in the past; the recent past since only a few months had passed." She explained.

"A few months in the past." Molly said as she frowned. "Are you saying you traveled through time?" She asked.

"Yes." Serena said seriously. "That's how I knew I was the Moon Princess. I had already lived through months of being a scout, being aided by Tuxedo Mask, discovering each scout, and only days before I came back to this time learned that I was the princess we all had been searching for."

"And the same time I learned I was the Moon Princess I also learned that Darien was Tuxedo Mask and the Earth Prince." She added.

Molly blinked her eyes wide in shock as she stared at Serena then looked to Darien.

"Did you already know this or are you time traveling too?" She asked.

"I did know and I am time traveling as well, but I didn't arrive until a few months after her." Darien said.

"This is unbelievable, and a lot to take in." She said as she stared at them in shock. "You guys are actually serious. You're really these super heroes."

Darien got up and walked over to his balcony and closed the curtains as Serena got up and held her brooch in her hands.

"Moon Prism Power." She said, and was instantly surrounded in warm pink light.

Molly squinted her eyes at the bright light before closing them altogether. When the light stopped she opened her eyes to see her friend completely transformed. She now stood as a sailor scout; the same scout she had seen the night she was attacked in her mother's jewelry store.

Then she blinked in surprise as her eyes shifted to the side to see that Darien was no longer there. In his place was a masked man wearing a full tuxedo and a long cape.

"Okay; I'm a believer." Molly said. "Although, can you prove that you're past royalty?" She asked after a moment.

Without a word being spoken by either of them Serena began to glow white and Darien began to glow gold. Within moments the light covered them completely and disappeared leaving them looking different yet again.

Her friend wore a beautiful white dress with her hair the same as she had always worn it and a golden crescent moon in the middle of her forehead. Darien now wore a navy blue uniform with silver armor, black armored knee high boots, the same black and red cape, and a sword on his hip.

"Okay. You're definitely who you say you are." Molly said; then she watched them glow and return to wearing the casual clothes they had started with before they resumed their seats.

"How can you prove you guys are from the future?" She asked.

"Well, I can't use what's happened already as proof since it's already happened, so I'm not sure what I can say." Serena said thoughtfully.

"What about a future situation? Something that will happen that you know will happen." Darien suggested, and Serena hummed thoughtfully as she leaned back on the couch.

"Some time in the next few days or weeks a girl with a reputation for fighting will transfer to our school." She said slowly as she remembered the details.

"She'll be tall, with brown hair that she'll wear in a high ponytail, and wear a white and light brown uniform from her old school because they won't have her size in our uniform. Her name is Lita Kino, she's our age, and she's Sailor Jupiter." She explained.

"Really?" Molly asked as her eyes widened.

"Yes." Serena said as she nodded. "Her arrival is actually one of the next events we're waiting for to continue toward our goals, so that's something you can keep your eyes open for." She added and Molly nodded.

"I definitely will." She said. "What are your goals if you don't mind telling me?" She asked.

Serena looked to Darien and he nodded.

"Well, I'm working toward gathering all my Scouts and having them trained up to be the best they can be, and cementing our teamwork and connection to each other." She said.

"I'm working toward freeing all my Generals, training with them, and regaining our connection with each other." Darien said.

"Generals?" Molly questioned.

"Just like Serena has her Guardian Scouts I have my Guardian Generals. Four guys charged with my protection. Unfortunately they've been brainwashed by our enemy in this life hence needing to free them." He explained. "So far two have been freed, and we have two more to go."

"I understand. I'm sorry your generals have been brainwashed." She said.

"I'm sorry too, but I'm glad for the chance to have them in my life again since the first time around they were just enemies." He said. "We remembered our past too late for it to be of use in freeing them, and I know at least one of them had died by that point."

"Oh!" Molly said in surprise. It was very surprising that his generals had been enemies and had likely been killed last time or in the case of the others been eliminated by their own leader.

"Neither Luna, nor the scouts, nor the generals know about the time travel and we have no plans to ever tell them. It's our personal secret." Serena added seriously.

"Then why tell me? Why tell me any of this?" She asked. "Not that I don't appreciate it since it actually answers some questions I've had about things that have happened around you."

"The first time around I allowed myself to be pressured into distancing myself from you so much that our friendship had all but ended, and I wasn't even able to explain why without telling you the secret." Serena said.

"I imagine it looked like I was abandoning you more and more with each new girl I became friends with." She said as she shook her head.

"This time I decided I was keeping your friendship no matter what, so I'm telling you all this because I want our friendship to be the best it could be, and not be ruined because of my secret life." She explained.

"I also wanted a friend with a different perspective; an unbiased point of view of what's happening around us. You're my best girl friend and I want to be able to be myself with you; my _complete_ self with you." She finished.

Molly's eyes teared up and she wrapped her arms around Serena in a hug.

"Thank you." She whispered in her ear as she felt her returning her hug. "I appreciate that you included me when you made friends with Amy, and didn't pull away from me even when Raye came along." She said.

"I'm glad. I made sure to include you, and hoped that including you would make it so I didn't hear anything about distancing myself from you from Luna and the girls." Serena said.

"Thank you." Molly said again, but before anything else could be said there was a knock on the door.

Serena looked to Darien as she pulled away from Molly.

"Are you expecting anyone?" She asked curiously.

"No." Darien said as he got up and went to the door. He unlocked it and opened it, and found Neflite there.

 _Perfect timing_. He thought as he looked at his general.

 **~~uUu~~**

"Welcome. Come on in." Darien said.

"Thanks." Neflite said.

"What are you doing here?" Darien asked as he closed the door.

"I just wanted to visit and hangout if you're available." He said.

"I am. Although, Serena's here along with her friend, and we just finished telling her our secret." Darien revealed, and the general blinked in surprise.

"Why was she told?" Neflite asked.

"Besides the fact that she's her best girl friend, and doesn't want the secret to ruin their friendship, Serena wants to be able to talk to someone that's not a part of our secret life and not influenced by it." He answered.

"That's understandable." Neflite said, nodding as they walked toward the living room.

"Look who's here." Darien announced as they reached the young women.

"Hi." Serena said as she waved, and Neflite waved back with a light smile.

"Molly, this is one of my generals, the most recent to be freed. This is Maxwell, but his past name was Neflite." Darien said. "We refer to each other by our past names when we're just with each other or around people who know our secret."

"Neflite, this is Molly, my princess' best girl friend." He continued, and watched her look at Neflite.

"Hi." Molly said softly even as she stared at him. He was so cute; the cutest guy she had ever seen.

He was so very tall with his long wavy brown hair and gorgeous blue eyes. He looked older as well. She didn't know if he was like Darien and just looked older than he was or if he actually _was_ older, but either way she liked the way he looked all around.

"Hello." Neflite said as he looked at her, his eyes flashing all over her, taking in every detail he possibly could. He looked at her short wavy reddish brown hair, her soft blue eyes, and her short delicate figure.

In that moment he was outrageously glad that she knew their secret, so he could speak to her without having to lie to her. They'd said all of one word to each other each, and he was already fascinated with her.

Neflite recalled that he had been interested in Sailor Jupiter in the past, but nothing had ever happened between them. She had been fierce, strong, and at the same time delicate. He had liked each aspect and the combination of them in her, but that was then and this was now.

This was his new life, his second chance, and just because his prince was once again with Princess Serenity it didn't mean he had to be interested in his past romantic interest as well.

Of course their situation was different. Endymion and Serenity had been in love and in an actual relationship, so it was understanding that they wanted to be together again.

Molly was already interesting to him and he wanted to get to know her, and it certainly helped that he could be himself since she knew about their secret life.

Serena looked to Darien and smiled, easily seeing the attraction between Molly and Neflite. Darien silently moved around the couch and sat down next to Serena and wrapped his arm around her shoulders as she leaned against him.

"Have a seat." Darien said to his general.

Neflite blinked, coming to his senses and sat in the side chair that Darien had been in since it was the closest to the pretty redhead.

"So what were you all talking about, besides telling Molly here about our secret?" He asked.

"I just finished explaining to Molly why I was telling her our secret." Serena answered before she looked to Molly. "Do you have any questions?" She asked her.

Molly pulled her eyes away from Maxwell or Neflite, and looked to the couple sitting on the couch with her before she looked back to him.

"Which name do you prefer?" She asked him.

"I like them both fine, but I need to get used to hearing my present name again so you can call me Maxwell." Neflite said. "It will probably be easier on you to use one name anyway."

"Okay." Molly said. "Although, I don't mind using both names at the appropriate time." She added shyly, and watched him nod.

"Whatever you're comfortable with." He said with a smile.

"Do you guys remember your past names?" She asked as she looked to the couple, and watched them both nod.

"I'm Serenity." Serena said.

"I'm Endymion." Darien said.

Molly nodded, thinking those were interesting names, and considered what she could ask. She had to make sure it had nothing to do with the time travel since Maxwell didn't know, but then she glanced back to him and got an idea.

"So who's the other general that's been freed?" She asked.

"Jedite was before me. His present name is Julius." Neflite answered.

"What about the other two generals? What are their names?" Molly asked.

"Malachite and Zoycite." Neflite answered. "I can't wait for them to be free. I hope it happens soon."

"I can't wait to meet them, and see you all together." She said kindly.

"I can't wait to see that sight as well." Serena said.

"So what about those attacking monsters? Where are they coming from?" Molly asked.

From there they all took turns explaining all about the Negaverse and what their goal was in regards to collecting human energy in order to awaken their leader Metalia, and rule over the planet before expanding to the universe.

 **~~uUuUu~~**

Zoycite sighed as he stood in his quarters thinking about his fellow generals. There were only two of them left; him and Malachite. Jedite and Neflite were dead. According to his Queen they were killed by the Sailor Scouts or more likely the masked man who was aiding them.

He had to admit that he found it hard to believe that the three girls could take down two men. Maybe their powers were stronger than he was aware of or maybe the masked man was doing all the heavy work.

 _Then again I don't know what the masked man is capable of either_. He thought with a sigh.

Still, his Queen believed the fighters working against them were more powerful than she thought. So much so that she wanted to find the legendary silver crystal to have more power to fight them.

That task went to Malachite since he had done as he was told and relayed his Queen's orders to him, and his task was to gather energy, and further, to get rid of the fighters opposing them.

 _And, of course, do it without getting killed_. He thought.

Zoycite had said he would do better than his fellow generals and he would. He wouldn't end up like them. He would be smart about his approach and plan better, but he needed more information to do that.

 _So I'll send out a minion to draw out the Scouts and the masked man, so I can see how they fight and work together_. He decided. _And, of course, gather energy while I'm at it_. He thought as he nodded to himself.

"Yasha! Come to me!" He called.

Within moments a being teleported into his room and stood before him. She was a beautiful woman with long straight black hair, wearing a kabuki mask, yellow hakama, blue tucked kimono, and a white haori.

Beautiful as she may appear he wasn't at all fazed by it; especially since he was aware of what she really looked like.

"Go and gather energy." Zoycite commanded firmly. "Your companions before you failed, and I expect you not to end up like them."

"I will not fail you." She said with a bow before she teleported away to get started.

 **~~uUuUu~~**

Darien walked down the sidewalk after parking his car early Saturday afternoon. He had been let out of work early and decided to visit Andrew at work since he knew Serena would be busy training and then spending time with her friends for a while.

He wondered idly what Jedite and Neflite were doing with themselves. It had been nearly two weeks since Neflite, _Maxwell_ , had been rescued and they were now living in their own apartments.

Just as Serena had suggested there had been apartments available in his building. They were on different floors, but that was fine and probably for the best. They should be close considering their situation, but still have some space so they didn't get on each other's nerves.

He was certainly glad to have his apartment back to himself, so he and Serena could have complete privacy when they wanted it and not have to stay in his room.

When Zoycite and Malachite were free they could choose who they wanted to share the apartments with since each had two bedrooms just like his.

It was outrageously expensive to be paying for three apartments in his building, but soon all the guys would be there and settled and able to pay for their own apartment.

Darien reached the glass doors of the arcade and stepped inside as they opened, and instantly saw his longtime friend behind the counter.

"Andrew!" He called, and watched as he looked up and smiled.

"Hey." Andrew said. "What are you doing here?" He asked as he reached the counter. "I haven't seen you in ages."

"I got off work early, and wanted to see how you were doing." Darien said.

"Well I'm fine; going to school and work." He said. "What about you?" He asked.

"I'm doing good; doing the same as you." He answered. "Going to school and working, and I'm also taking some martial arts classes during the week in the afternoons."

"What classes are you taking?" Andrew asked.

"Karate and taekwondo. They're fun and I'm learning a lot." He said.

"Wow. Why did you decide to take the classes since I haven't known you to have an interest in martial arts?" He asked.

"I wanted to learn to defend myself as well as keep in shape." Darien replied.

Andrew nodded and they both looked over as the doors to the arcade slid open, and watched as two girls walked in.

 **~~uUu~~**

Amy and Raye walked down the sidewalk toward the arcade where they and Serena had all agreed to meet up so they could hangout. They had come across each other a block back after going home to cleanup and change after their training session.

They were talking about their training, and how they thought it had gone and if there was anything they had thought about doing while they were separated.

"I haven't thought of anything, but I'm glad we were able to practice navigating through my fog." Amy said. "I don't want us to have the issues we had before with not being able to see the enemy."

"I agree." Raye said. "It'll still be hard, but now that we've practiced and figured out what works for us we should be okay." She said and Amy nodded in agreement.

"I also haven't thought of anything we should work on either." She added as they reached the arcade.

They stepped pass the glass doors as they slid open and saw that the place was mostly empty with just a few pairs of people here and there. Then their attention was grabbed by the two guys at the counter since they were the closest and had looked their way as they entered.

One stood behind it with blonde hair, green eyes, wearing a blue short sleeve button up shirt, and an apron over his shirt and presumably the top of his pants. The other stood in front of the counter between two stools. He had black hair, blue eyes, wore a long sleeve black shirt with the sleeves rolled up just below his elbows, and blue jeans.

 _Oh wow_. _Mr. black hair is cute._ Raye thought, blinking as they moved further into the building and away from the doors.

"The guy with black hair is cute." She said quietly. "Do you think I should try and talk to him?" She asked.

"I don't know." Amy said as they went and sat in one of the booths next to the windows. "He looks older than us. He might not acknowledge you."

Just then they saw Serena walking by and she waved at them through the window before she continued toward the doors. As she entered they watched her pause in clear surprise as she spotted the guys.

"Darien!" They listened to her call out happily, and watched as she hurried toward them.

She was instantly swept up into a tight hug by the black haired guy and lifted off her feet before he kissed her.

"It's a good thing you didn't have a chance to go talk to him." Amy said as they watched. "From what we're seeing it's highly likely he's the boyfriend Serena's mentioned."

 _All the cute ones are taken_. Raye thought as she sighed.

"Oh well." She said. "There's no guarantee that I would have liked him had he been available."

 **~~uUu~~**

"What are you doing here?" Serena asked as their kiss ended.

"I got off work early and thought I'd see how Andrew was doing." Darien said as he placed her back on her feet.

Serena looked to Andrew, remembering that he was right there with them as well.

"Hi." She said.

"Hi back at you." Andrew said. "I didn't know you two were dating; I didn't even know you two _knew_ each other."

"We met months ago and started dating quickly." Darien said, and she nodded.

"We spend time together every day but away from the arcade because of the classes we take after we get out of school." Serena said.

"The martial arts classes; she's taking them too." Darien explained.

"I am, and I'm taking another class as well." She admitted. "It's something we decided to do not long after we first started dating."

"That's surprising." Andrew said. "It sounds like you guys really hit it off right after meeting."

"That's it exactly, and I couldn't be happier." Darien said. He smiled down at her and she smiled in return and hugged him.

 _Actually I could be happier. I'll be really happy once it's known who we truly are to each other and no longer have to keep it secret, and definitely when I hear her tell me she loves me for the first time in this present time_. He thought.

"You two are cute." Andrew said with a smile before he glanced behind them. "I have to go take care of some customers." He said.

They nodded and watched him walk away before Serena looked over to Amy and Raye.

"Since we're all here you can finally 'meet' the girls." She suggested as she looked back to Darien.

Darien nodded, having noticed them when they first arrived but ignored them since he technically didn't know them, and besides that he was busy with visiting his friend.

"Sure. The opportunity is here, so we might as well use it instead of putting it off." He said.

Serena nodded and they released their hold on each other only to link their hands and begin walking toward the girls.

* * *

"Amy, Raye, this is Darien; the boyfriend I told you about." Serena said as they stopped in front of their booth. "Darien, these are my good friends I told you about; Raye and Amy." She said.

Amy and Raye smiled in greeting and waved, and Darien silently waved back at them.

"Do you guys want hangout together?" Serena asked as she looked from Darien to the girls and back.

"I don't mind." Darien said, and Amy and Raye agreed. "I'll go tell Andrew." He told Serena and she nodded.

As he walked away they arranged themselves in the booth, Amy and Raye on one side and Serena on the other with the space next to her open for Darien. When he returned he slid into the seat next to her and they all began to discuss what they should do.

The girls hadn't made any plans other than to meet at the arcade and decide what to do from there, and Darien said he had just planned to visit with Andrew for a bit and then likely go home so he had nothing planned.

So after a few suggestions here and there they eventually decided to just spend time at the arcade. From there they relaxed, ordered some food and drinks, and began to talk; giving Darien, Amy, and Raye a chance to get to know each other.

Amy thought Darien was nice and polite, and clearly very interested in Serena. He had his arm around her shoulders and would kiss her forehead or the side of her head occasionally. Serena seemed to glow with happiness in his presence, smiling more then she had ever seen her do. She was leaning against his side and would occasionally reach up and caress his face.

Amy would blush every time she saw the gestures they gave each other, feeling like she was witnessing something private.

Raye was watching the couple in muted awe. She knew that they were dating since Serena regularly mentioned her boyfriend, but she was clearly seeing that they cared for each other greatly.

 _I wonder if they're in love._ She thought curiously. They had been boyfriend and girlfriend since before Serena met Amy, only a few months, and she wondered if it was possible for them to fall in love in such a short time.

The little gestures they did toward each other; a kiss here and a caress there, made them look so cute and very much taken with each other. They had only been hanging out a short time and already she thought they were inspiring. She wanted what they had and wondered if she would ever find someone to look at her the way he looked at Serena.

Darien for his part could see the differences in the girls, and thought they were much better than before.

Amy was more friendly and relaxed instead of standoffish and hesitant. Raye was friendly, polite, but keeping her distance; at least in comparison to what he had been used to the first time around.

If she found him attractive then she was keeping it to herself. It was looking like being introduced as Serena's boyfriend instead of just as some guy she knew made all the difference.

Serena was just happy to be spending time with all three of them together without any problems. Amy was fine with Darien, and Raye didn't seem to be fawning over him or showing any signs of attraction. The only thing that would make this better was if Lita and Mina were there, and all the guys, and everyone knew who everyone was and there was no more need to hide.

 _Someday it'll happen; perhaps weeks or a month or two down the line, but it will happen in the near future and I can't wait_. She thought determinedly.

As she was listening to Serena and Raye talk Amy suddenly heard her minicomputer beeping in her subspace pocket. She blinked in surprise and immediately glanced to Darien wondering how they were going to get away from him to go take care of whatever this was.

She excused herself and quickly walked to the restroom. Once inside with the door closed she pulled out her computer, opened it, and clicked around to see what was happening and where. Quickly she learned that this time a monster was attacking at a kabuki theater.

Amy clicked at the keypad a little more and read the location before she snapped her computer closed and put it away. She opened the door and stepped out just in time to see Serena headed her way.

"Is everything okay?" She asked.

"There's a monster attack." Amy said.

Serena nodded; she had figured that might be the case when she got up suddenly.

"I'll fake being sick and need you guys to see me home so you can have something to tell Darien." Amy said, and she nodded.

"Go stand by the entrance doors and start looking sick. I'll send Raye to you and give Darien our excuse." Serena said.

Amy nodded and they made their way back to the main area of the arcade, and Amy went to stand near the doors while Serena headed back toward their booth.

"Amy's feeling sick, and wants to head home before she gets worse." Serena said once she arrived at the booth. "I've agreed that we should see her home just in case she gets worse before she gets home. You two should head that way, and I'll catch up real quick. I just want to say bye to Darien." She explained, and Raye nodded and got up.

"It was nice to meet you. I'm sorry we're running out like this." She said to Darien.

"It's okay. I appreciate that you all want to take care of your friend." Darien said.

Raye nodded, gave a smile, and walked off toward the front of the arcade. Serena watched her for a few moments before she looked back to him.

"There's an attack. I didn't ask Amy where; I just plan on following her." She said quietly, and he nodded.

"I'll say my goodbyes to Andrew, then go move my car so Andrew can't see it and grow suspicious, then I'll follow my senses to you and the fight." Darien said, and she nodded.

"Alright." She said as he got to his feet then she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'll take any excuse to kiss you." She said lightly.

Darien laughed and gave her kiss worthy of a goodbye to any onlooker before they separated and began to head toward the front of the arcade.

"I'll see you later." Serena said before she hurried out through the sliding glass doors, and in the direction her friends had walked in.


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer** **: I do not own Sailor Moon or her characters, and have no right to it except as a long time fan.**

Unexpected Restart  
Chapter Ten: Jupiter Revealed

Darien watched Serena until she disappeared from his sight as he walked then looked around for Andrew. He saw him walking away from some customers toward the front of the establishment and conveniently toward him.

"Serena and her friends just left." He said as Andrew stopped next to him. "One of them was feeling sick and Serena decided that they should see her home to make sure she made it if she grew worse."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Andrew said. "Do you think the food made her sick?" He asked in concern.

"No! No. It wasn't the food." Darien quickly assured him. The last thing he wanted was for his friend to worry about such a thing; especially since the excuse was fake.

Andrew nodded.

"I'm going to head out as well. Serena's gone and I don't want to distract you from your work." Darien said.

"Okay." Andrew said.

"I'll call you later; definitely some time after you get off work." He said, and Andrew nodded.

"Alright. I'll talk to you later." He said.

"Bye." Darien said

"Bye." His friend said, and he began to walk toward the sliding glass doors.

Once outside Darien immediately headed for his car. He got in and moved it as quickly as he could to another street. Thankfully it was near a park so anyone seeing him would think he was going into the park. He parked and got out, locked up the car, and began to jog for a secluded spot to transform.

He looked around, his eyes searching, wanting to hurry since he had sensed Serena transform while he was driving. Plus, he worried that one of his generals would be there, and he didn't want to miss him or leave the Scouts to deal with him _and_ the attacking monster.

Finally he spotted what looked like a large utility or garden shed near the edge of the park, and he hurried behind it and transformed quickly. He then took off running, following his senses to his princess.

He ran along sidewalks, and alleyways before he managed to get to a rooftop. From there he continued toward his princess, leaping rooftops, moving ever closer to her. Eventually he started to hear screaming and knew he was getting closer. He jumped a few more rooftops and stopped on one and walked to the edge and looked down.

All three scouts were there and fighting what appeared to be a woman dressed in yellow hakama, blue tucked kimono, and a white haori. She had long straight black hair, but her face was covered by a kabuki mask.

 _That's probably a bad thing considering she's a monster_. He figured, and decided to see if he could find out.

He pulled out a rose and narrowed his eyes at the monster before he threw it at the female's face.

* * *

The Sailor Scouts tensed as the female monster screamed and brought her hands up to the mask covering her face as a red rose pierced it suddenly. The monster dropped to its knees screaming as it bent over until its mask and hands were nearly touching the ground.

Sailor Moon looked up, her eyes searching rapidly, and found Tuxedo Mask standing on the edge of the roof of the building across from the Kabuki Theater they were standing in front of. She watched him jump to the ground, and quickly shifted her eyes back to the monster. She was glad he was here, but couldn't help recalling what happened before his arrival.

 **~Flashback~**

 _Serena jogged down the sidewalk as she hurried to catch up with Raye and Amy, and once she did they all hurried to find a suitable spot to transform. They eventually ducked behind a large building and, after making sure they couldn't be seen by people or cameras, pulled out their transformation pens and brooch._

 _"Mercury Power!" Amy said firmly._

 _"Mars Power!" Raye said strongly._

 _"Moon Prism Power!" Serena said calmly._

 _Once they stood as sailor scouts they took off, following Mercury since she knew the location. They ran through the streets, along the sidewalks, dodging around surprised people, before they moved up to the rooftops._

 _After a few minutes they jumped down to the ground and landed in front of what Sailor Mars and Sailor Moon were realizing was clearly a Kabuki theater. People were screaming and yelling, and still trying to get out of the building._

 _The Scouts looked at each other before they went inside, squeezing through a side door where some people were trying to leave from. They hurried pass people in the direction they were fleeing from, and through another doorway only to find themselves surrounded by rows of seats and facing a stage._

 _Standing in the middle of the stage they saw a woman with long straight black hair dressed in traditional clothes wearing a kabuki mask over her face._

 _"Alright ladies." Sailor Moon said, and nodded to them before she leapt up onto the walkway that extended into the audience. She slowly began to walk toward the stage, keeping her eyes on the female that was obviously the monster._

 _Sailor Mars stepped to the side and began to walk down the aisle toward the stage, keeping her eyes on the monsters hands and mask as she wondered where its attacks would come from._

 _Sailor Mercury stayed where she stood and prepared herself for whatever the monster might do as she watched it turn its head slightly to the left and right obviously keeping Moon and Mars in its line of sight._

 _The monster lifted its hands and the Scouts tensed as a light orange glow began to form in the middle of its palms. In the next moment balls of fire were shooting rapidly out of its hands._

 _Sailor Moon instantly dropped to the floor of the walkway to let the fireballs pass over her before she got back to her feet._

 _Cosmic Starlight Illusion_ _. She thought as she lifted her hands and launched the focused version of her attack. White blue-tinted light instantly gathered in her hands before a beam of blue white energy stars shot toward the monster._

 _Mars Fire Ignite_ _. Sailor Mars said internally as she quickly lifted her hands and fired off her attack, sending her own fireballs at the oncoming attack. The fireballs collided and created bright mini explosions in the air._

 _Shine Snow Illusion_ _. Sailor Mercury thought as she also lifted her hands and fire off her attack, and watched as a small snow storm streamed out toward the monster._

 _The monster dodged the energy stars and quickly jumped over the stream of ice and frost. While it was still in the air it threw fireballs at all the scouts._

 _Mars side stepped the fire balls coming in her direction and quickly summoned her flaming bow._ _Mars Flame Sniper_ _. She launched the attack sending her fiery arrow at the monster before she moved further down the aisle and fired off another._

 _Mercury dodged off to the side away from the attack and launched her_ _Shine Snow Illusion_ _attack sending her frost and ice attack toward the monster as it landed back on the stage._

 _Sailor Moon ran forward to avoid the balls of fire and launched her_ _Cosmic Starlight Illusion_ _attack. She leapt up onto the stage and watched as marble sized energy stars streamed toward the monster from different angles and hit it as it was busy avoiding Mercury and Mars' attacks; exploding against it and damaging its clothes._

 _The monster cried out in pain before it jumped out toward the seating and the exits. It jumped over seats and leapt onto and off the back edges of seats as it dodged out of the way of streams of ice and frost. It burst through the doorway and out into the lobby before it moved toward the next set of doors, and burst completely through them, breaking down glass, wood, and steel._

 _The Scouts burst out of the doors behind the monster and spread out as they faced it. The monster looked to them and suddenly produced a flaming whip and flung it toward them. The Scouts jumped back and dodged away from the monster and launched their attacks._

 _Shine Snow Illusion_ _. Mercury said internally._

 _Cosmic Starlight Illusion_ _. Moon thought as she focused on the version she wanted to launch._

 _Mars Fire Ignite_ _. Mars said intensely in her mind._

 _The monster jumped around dodging this way and that way, but then stopped and spun in place; its fire whip creating a protective ring around it until the attacks stopped._

 **~End Flashback~**

Sailor Moon blinked back to the here and now as the monsters screaming began to turn into words.

"No, no, no; my mask, my mask, MY MASK!" The monster screamed.

The warriors shifted uneasily as they noticed its hair began to change; from the long straight black to wild thick white locks.

"No!" The monster screamed again as it dropped its hands revealing its face.

Everyone grimaced at the demonic looking face with its off white color, wide bright red eyes, and large fangs. The pointy white horns on its head didn't help either, and they idly noticed that its white haori was replaced with a sleeveless red one.

The monster seemed to glare at them and suddenly a stream of fire came flowing from its mouth. It turned its head and body left and right so the stream went toward everyone. They all jumped back as the fire continued to extend further out then they thought it would.

Tuxedo Mask launched rose after rose toward the stream of fire as he lightly landed on the hood of a parked car. Mars launched her _Mars Fire Ignite_ attack as she landed in between two cars; balls of fire shooting at the monster as it continued sending out a stream of fire.

Mercury launched her _Shine Snow Illusion_ as she landed, and Moon launched the focused version of her _Cosmic Starlight Illusion_ as she landed. Their two attacks combined midflight and icy white blue energy stars raced toward the monster.

The monsters stream of fire stopped and it jumped up high in the air to avoid the various attacks coming its way.

 _Cosmic Starlight Illusion_. Sailor Moon quickly launched her attack at it while it was in midair, and dozens of the white blue tinted energy stars sped toward and around the monster before they started hitting and exploding against its body causing it to scream in pain.

The monster fell back to the ground, hitting hard, and Tuxedo immediately launched his roses at it. Mars launched her _Mars Flame Sniper_ attack, firing off arrow after arrow at the downed monster.

Sailor Moon took off her tiara as she listened to the monster scream and charged it up. She hoped to be able to destroy the monster in the next few moments and be done with it.

Suddenly the monster screamed loudly and jumped to its feet before tilting its head forward. In the next moment its horns extended out rapidly and right toward Mercury.

Sailor Mercury made a surprised sound and jumped back before darting off to the side and out of the way of the horns as they extended further than the stream of fire did.

Sailor Moon took that moment to launch her tiara at the monster. Tuxedo threw a series of roses at the monster right after, and Mars launched her _Mars Fire Ignite_ attack so all the attacks hit the monster one after the other.

The monster screamed in pain, its horns returning to it, and continued to scream as it gradually turned gray only stopping when its body began to crumble.

Sailor Moon looked to Tuxedo after the monster finished crumbling to dust and nodded at him, which he returned, before she turned to her fellow scouts.

"Let's get out of here." She said.

Mars and Mercury nodded and they all began to run; the Scouts in one direction and Tuxedo in another.

 **~~uUuUu~~**

A tall young woman wearing a school uniform consisting of a white long sleeve sailor top with a light brown collar, a long light brown skirt that stretched pass her knees, and black small heeled shoes walked down the sidewalk on a bright Monday morning.

She had fair skin and a slim figure, big green eyes, long brown wavy hair tied up with a green hair tie in a high ponytail that trailed down her back, and wore pink rose stud earrings.

She yawned lightly as she thought of her destination. Another new school. A new school that she was transferring into that very day.

She didn't know why she had to transfer there. There was nothing wrong with her last school; except for the fact that she had a reputation as a bit of a bad girl and had gotten into a fight or two.

 _But that wasn't my fault! They shot their mouths off at me! Little boys trying to pretend they're men, only to find out they were in fact little boys when they couldn't handle a strong girl willing to put her fists in their mouths_. She thought fiercely.

And because of that she had to go. Now she had to deal with being the new girl all over again, and no doubt her reputation for fighting would already be circling the campus even though she wasn't there yet.

She was tired of transferring schools. She didn't know why it kept happening. Why couldn't she just be quiet and keep her fists to herself?

 _Maybe I'm intentionally getting into trouble to switch schools until I find the right one, but then which school is the right one? And how will I know it's the right one when I find it?_ She wondered in confusion. _Clearly my previous schools weren't the right ones, so what were they missing? What did they lack?_

She didn't know, but she hoped this next school was the right one if she was subconsciously searching; because she was tired and just wanted some stability.

She sighed as she glanced around, and blinked at the sight of three big guys standing in the way of a girl with incredibly long golden blonde hair up in twin buns with the rest trailing in two streams. She also happened to be wearing the uniform to her new school.

She frowned slightly as she slowed her walk. She didn't like the three to one odds against that girl.

 **~~uUu~~**

Serena walked down the sidewalk in the cool morning air. It was bright out but that did nothing to chase away the cold in the air. She adjusted the strap of her duffle bag further onto her shoulder, and held her school bag in her other hand as she let her thoughts wander.

Her prince was with her, Amy and Raye were with her and doing well as scouts, and Jedite and Neflite had been freed. They were with Darien and reestablishing their presence as generals at his side. Molly knew her secret and had once again been introduced to Neflite, and everything appeared to be going well for her.

Now she was wondering what would happen next. She was just waiting on Lita to make her appearance since she couldn't go to her; not having any idea where she had been before transferring into her school.

Beyond that they had to wait on circumstances in order to rescue and free another general since their future knowledge didn't count anymore.

After getting Neflite early it would be Zoycite's turn, and they had no idea when or how he was going to make his move; especially since there were no more rainbow crystals out there. No rainbow crystals meant no monsters to defeat and turn back into humans.

There was also the very real possibility that freeing the generals like they were had changed things up, and Beryl could send out Malachite instead of Zoycite or both of them at the same time.

Serena sighed as she rounded a corner. She very much hoped that both generals didn't confront them at once. It would make things more complicated than they needed to be.

They wouldn't be able to capture both of them at the same time, especially not without the Scouts noticing, and if they got one and the other escaped the Negaverse would know something wasn't right. At the very least the general that got away would know the other hadn't been killed, and not by all the Scouts like they currently thought.

She shook her head slightly and blinked as she looked ahead. She was halfway down the sidewalk and ahead, walking toward her, were three guys. She remembered them from the first time around. She recalled running into one of them and being threatened, and Lita coming along and rescuing her.

She blinked and was internally pleased at this development, because it meant today was the day she would meet Lita; which meant she was around there somewhere. She glanced around and spotted her across the street; standing out in her white and brown uniform.

Serena turned her attention back to the guys approaching her and sighed. She hoped that since she wasn't running into them she could avoid a confrontation with these guys, but the warrior in her knew there was no avoiding it.

These guys were the confrontational type. They would not let her pass without harassing her at the least, and at the most they wanted something from her that they weren't going to get.

 _Something that's for my prince and my prince alone. They aren't getting anything from me_. She thought quietly as she looked them over; taking in the details she had been unconcerned with the first time around considering how threatening they had been.

One guy wore dark green pants and a white tank top, another wore a blue short sleeve button up shirt and black pants, and the last wore blue pants, a yellow long sleeve button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and dark sunglasses. All three guys were muscled and taller than her; as tall as her prince, but that wouldn't stop her if she needed to act.

As she walked closer to the guys she moved off to the side to try and walk around them, but one of the guys blocked her path. She stepped back and looked up at them to see what would happen next, because she wasn't about to walk out into the street and risk getting hit by a car to get pass them.

"Look who we have here." The guy in the white tank top said.

"Yeah. A pretty young thing." The guy in the sunglasses said as the last guy laughed.

"You want to hang out with us for the rest of the day?" The guy in the tank top asked as he stepped forward. "I like a girl in a uniform, and yours looks particularly appealing." He added as he looked her up and down.

Serena stared at him blankly, disgusted and insulted, and suddenly everything was happening quickly.

She swiftly brought her leg up in between the legs of the lead guy, the one doing most of the talking, and kicked him right in the crotch; so hard that he was lifted off his feet despite his size.

He dropped to his knees with a pained cry, holding himself, and she kneed him in the face, colliding with his nose, causing him to fall back.

She looked to the guy with the sunglasses as he ran at her and swung a punch at the side of his face then backhanded him with the same hand across the other side, knocking his sunglasses clean off his face, before she swept his feet out from under him causing him to fall hard to the ground.

The last guy moved toward her threateningly and she shifted her eyes toward him and jumped up off the ground with a front kick, her foot catching him under his chin so his head was knocked back.

He stumbled back as he grabbed his face, and when she landed she swung a back kick into his stomach causing him to double over even as he stumbled back a little more, and finally she swung a kick at the side of his head causing him to fall to the ground and hit the other side of his head on the concrete.

* * *

"Are you okay?" Serena heard a familiar voice call out, and looked over to see Lita rushing across the street toward her.

"Yeah. I'm fine." She answered, and glanced up to her forehead and saw the symbol for Jupiter glowing an emerald green.

"I'm impressed that you were able to stand up to those guys," The tall girl said as she stopped next to her. "and all without putting your bags down or losing them in the process."

"Thanks." Serena said as she adjusted the strap of her duffle bag on her shoulder. "I've been taking martial arts classes and training with my boyfriend."

"Oh yeah? What classes are you taking exactly?" She asked. "I'm Lita Kino by the way." She said in the next breath.

"I'm Serena Tsukino, and I'm taking karate and taekwondo." Serena informed her.

"Nice." Lita said as she nodded.

"So where are you headed?" She asked even though she already knew.

"I'm headed to my new school Juuban Municipal Junior High." Lita said.

"That's where I go. We can walk there together." Serena said, and Lita nodded easily.

They walked away from the guys still lying on the ground groaning and moaning in pain, and Serena told her all about the school, how it was run, and what the classes were like.

 **~~uUuUu~~**

Serena walked into her classroom after she arrived at school and moved down one of the rows of seats toward her desk as she looked around. Both Amy and Molly were there, but Molly was currently talking to Melvin and a girl off to the side of the room by the windows.

She hung her school bag on the hook attached to her desk and put her duffle bag under her seat before she calmly made her way to Amy's desk where she was sitting reading through one of her textbooks.

"Good morning." Amy said as she looked up.

"Good morning." Serena said in return before she looked around. Once she was sure no one was paying them attention she looked back to Amy.

"I met a girl this morning on my way here. Her name's Lita Kino, and she's transferring into our school today." She said quietly, and Amy nodded curiously. "I clearly saw the symbol for Jupiter glowing green on her forehead." She added.

Amy gasped as her eyes widened. "Really?!" She said in surprise.

"Yes." Serena said as she nodded seriously.

Amy remembered their conclusion that the next scouts would wear green and orange. It looked like the one to wear green had finally been found, and they hadn't even had to go look for her. Though Amy had looked at any female wearing green, and subtly scanned them with her minicomputer to try and see if she could be a scout.

"Wow." She said. "What does she look like?" She asked curiously.

"Tall with her long brown hair pulled up in a high ponytail. She has green eyes and wears her previous school uniform since ours doesn't have our uniform in her size." Serena described, and Amy's eyes widened.

"She's that tall?" She asked, and Serena nodded.

Their teacher came in moments later and Serena and the other students standing went to their seats and class started soon afterward.

A few hours later when lunch time arrived Serena, Molly, and Amy grabbed their lunch and made their way outside. Serena led them over to their usual spot in one of the courtyards before she spotted Lita sitting on a bench nearby.

"That's the girl I met this morning on my way to school." She said for Molly's benefit as she changed course slightly. "Hey!" She called out, and Lita looked over and smiled and waved as she stood up.

"These are my friends Molly and Amy." She said as she gestured to each girl respectively before she looked to them. "This is Lita Kino, and she's new to our school." She said as she introduced Lita to them.

Serena looked to Molly and gave her a subtle look to remind her of what she had said about Lita's arrival, and that this was her proof that she was from the future as she had said.

Molly nodded subtly before she greeted Lita. She could not believe what she was seeing. This tall girl was the one Serena had mentioned would be transferring to their school. She was even wearing the uniform right down to the last detail.

This was the girl that was going to be another scout; Sailor Jupiter.

* * *

After school ended Serena said bye to Amy and Molly and changed into her workout clothes before heading to the park to meet up with Darien as was usual.

She didn't get to say bye to Lita since she was in a different class than them, but she had made the tall girl aware of her after school activities during lunch so she wouldn't think she was taking off without a word.

It didn't take her long to get to the park and when she did she found only Darien there waiting for her.

"Jedite and Neflite are training on their own today." He said to her silent question.

"That's fine with me." She said as she quickly put her bag next to his then joined him in the grass and began to stretch.

"Lita transferred into my school this morning." Serena said calmly.

Darien paused his stretching and looked over to her, and she returned his look with a nod.

"Jupiter has arrived." She said.

"Then the next phase of events has started." Darien said.

"Yeah. I told Amy when I got to school, and I plan on contacting her, Raye, and Luna when I get home to let them know and discuss how we should proceed. It's definitely going to happen differently than it did the first time around." Serena said, and he nodded.

"You'll figure out a safe and comfortable way to awaken her." Darien said.

"Thanks." She said.

And with that they put the matter from their minds and focused solely on their workout. They moved areas and shifted into their training like they always did until it was time to leave for their martial arts classes.

After their martial arts classes Darien drove her home and kissed her goodbye.

"I'll see you tomorrow." He said as he pulled back.

"I already can't wait." Serena replied before she got out of the car.

She closed the car door and waved at him and he returned it before she walked up to her front door, unlocked it, and walked into her home.

"Hi mom, dad." She called to her parents before she went up to her room and closed the door. She put her duffle bag down next to her closet and her school bag on her floor desk.

She laid down on her bed with a sigh and closed her eyes as she allowed herself to relax. A few moments later she opened her eyes, gestured with her hand, and watched as her communicator dropped into her hand. She pressed the button to contact Amy and Raye, and waited.

 _"Amy here."_ The blue scout answered first.

 _"Raye here."_ The red scout answered a moment later.

"Is Luna there Raye?" Serena asked since she knew by that time the cat had moved on from Amy and was staying with Raye.

 _"She's right next to me."_ Raye said.

"Good." She said. "So I met the girl who's Sailor Jupiter." She informed them, and Raye and Luna gasped.

 _"Are you sure?"_ Luna asked.

"Positive." Serena answered. "I met her on my way to school this morning and could clearly see the symbol for Jupiter glowing on her forehead. We walked to school together since she was transferring into mine and Amy's school today." She explained.

"Her name's Lita Kino, and she's a tall girl, our age, with green eyes, and long brown hair she wears in a high ponytail." She said.

 _"I met her during our lunch hour and I thought she was nice, and that she's definitely a fighter judging by what she liked to talk about."_ Amy said.

"Yes." Serena agreed. "She talked about that on the way to school as well. She's definitely going to be able to teach us how to fight better."

 _"That sounds good."_ Raye said thoughtfully. _"So what are we supposed to do now?"_

"We're going to have to figure out exactly how to approach Lita, so we should have a meeting tomorrow so we can discuss it in more detail." Serena suggested. "I just got home from my martial arts classes, and still need to do my homework."

 _"Okay. We can have the meeting at my apartment since my mom won't be home."_ Amy said.

"Okay. I'll come there directly from my gymnastics class." She said.

 _"That's fine with me. It'll give me a chance to get my chores done before I head there. Especially if I leave my homework for after the meeting."_ Raye said agreeably.

 _"We can do our homework together, so you and Serena won't have to worry about it when you get home."_ Amy said.

With that agreement they said they would see each other the next day and said their goodbye's before ending the connection.

 **~~uUuUu~~**

Amy, Raye, Serena, and Luna met up in the late afternoon on Tuesday at Amy's apartment, and they settled in the living room with their school things spread out in front of them.

"I think we should approach Lita as soon as possible like we did with Raye and I did with Amy." Serena suggested, getting their meeting started. "I've already befriended her and Amy's met her, but I think we should give it one more day to let her get used to us and figure out how we can do it."

"Perhaps we can approach her like I did with Amy and suggest studying and talking, and be able to do it in the comfort of Lita's own home so she'll be comfortable." She added.

"I like that." Amy agreed. "I felt comfortable learning about being a scout at home."

"I did as well, and I think Lita will appreciate it too." Raye said.

"Then it's decided. We'll do it on Thursday at Lita's place." Serena said. "Although I think we should have a backup place in case she isn't interested in inviting us to her home so soon after meeting us." She added.

"We can do it here since my mom won't be home. We would have the privacy we need." Amy said, and Serena and Raye nodded in agreement.

"Where am I going to meet up with you in order to go to Lita's place _if_ we're able to go?" Raye asked, and Serena hummed thoughtfully.

"The arcade. Lita needs to be introduced to the place anyway." She said. "I suppose I can skip workout and training tomorrow to show her before heading to my classes." She considered.

"No. Don't skip it." Amy insisted. "I can show her."

"I can go there after school and meet Lita instead of meeting her for the first time when we tell her about being a scout." Raye added.

"Are you two sure?" Serena asked, and they nodded.

"Amy and I usually do our workout and training during the time you're in your classes." Raye said.

"We can do our workout and training later in the evening or just double it up the next day." Amy added.

"But the next day we'll be telling Lita about being a scout, so it'll have to be put off again or I can just take the day off from working out, training, and my class, and we can all do an evening workout and training together." Serena said.

Amy and Raye looked at each other with hesitant frowns; neither of them wanting Serena to skip out on her class, and after meeting her boyfriend they actually didn't want her missing time with him either even if they were just working out together. They liked seeing the couple's closeness, and didn't want that to be strained by taking that time away.

"It's just my gymnastics class, and I can see Darien anytime I want. Plus, if all goes well and quick enough with awakening Lita as a scout I can still make my class." Serena said, and Raye nodded along with Amy.

"Then we'll do our workout and training later tomorrow evening." Raye said, and Serena nodded.

"Then Thursday we'll all head to the arcade and meet up and either go to Lita's place or Amy's, and get started on letting Lita in on our secret." She said.

Raye and Amy nodded, and they all smiled lightly at having figured out their plans pretty quickly.

Luna remained silent as she watched the three young women plan out when and how they were going to approach the new girl and inform her that she was a scout. After seeing that and with the time she had spent with Amy and Raye she decided now was the time to bring up having a leader and announce her decision on who that would be.

"Girls." She called their attention to her. "I've recently decided that it is time you had a leader among yourselves." She informed them once they were looking at her.

"I've spent the past few weeks thinking about it and watching you all, and I've finally made a decision, which I think is good timing since there will soon be another one of you." She said.

Serena, Amy, and Raye suddenly understood why Luna had decided to live with each of them for a while. She wanted to get to know them better in order to choose one of them to be leader.

 _That's a bit of a change since she didn't declare a leader until after Lita was awakened as a scout, but I suppose that's okay. Being named the leader earlier isn't a bad thing_. Serena thought.

"Amy will be the leader of the Sailor Scouts." Luna announced.

All the girl's blinked in various states of muted surprise. Serena understood in that moment that she had only been chosen as leader the first time around because of Luna's closeness to her, and not because the role was supposed to go to the one who could use the Crescent Moon Wand.

Amy and Raye were surprised that Luna was not choosing Serena since she had been acting as a leader all this time as far as they were concerned.

 _Ugh! She's making a mistake. I'm not leader material, and haven't done anything worthy of the position since becoming a scout_. Amy thought.

"Now that there's a leader the Crescent Moon Wand can be used." Luna said into the silence. "The wand is for returning people who have been turned into monsters back to normal, and it's also a means of finding the rainbow crystals; which will ultimately aid us in finding the Moon Princess." She explained.

As soon as she finished speaking she jumped up and flipped, in a move that they all recalled from when she produced their transformation items, but nothing appeared as she landed back on the floor.

"That's strange." Luna said as she frowned, and then tried again. She jumped up and flipped, and again nothing appeared.

Serena simply watched on knowing the wand wouldn't appear, because its rightful owner already had it and it couldn't be summoned away from her.

"Perhaps the wand isn't coming because you aren't making the right decision." She said quietly.

"I believe I'm making the right decision." Luna said firmly. "I spent a great deal of time with Amy, and I know how smart she is. That intelligence will lead you all well in finding the princess. Not to mention she's properly cautious of Tuxedo Mask, and doesn't leave meetings early."

Everyone's eyes widened at her words.

"You're penalizing me for that." Serena said; well aware that she was the only one to leave meetings before the others. It was becoming clear to her why Luna didn't choose her as leader.

"Yes!" Luna said seriously. "You all need a leader who doesn't trust so easily, and who won't leave meetings early in favor of sending time with a boyfriend. When we find the princess you can't leave her unprotected to go off and do frivolous things."

Serena frowned in anger at her words, upset partially because she was taking charge and being more of a leader then she had in the other timeline, and because if she wasn't going to be the leader then technically the role should go to Mina since she had been the leader in the past.

And for good reason. In the past Venus had been serious, level headed, reasonable, objective, and knew how to take charge.

"You're wrong." Serena said, raising her voice in anger. "You aren't doing your job properly as an advisor, and not being objective."

"You know nothing about Tuxedo Mask, and yet you're so quick to label him as untrustworthy and a possible enemy. He's never done anything to get in our way. He has in fact been helping us since day one. He's never even asked about what we're doing or what our purpose is. He's helped without complaint." She continued.

"For all you know he could be important to the princess! He could be reincarnated just like us. He might even remember the past and know more than us, but is keeping his silence." She argued intensely.

"We have instincts and are supposed to trust those instincts, but you aren't willing to trust mine. My instincts tell me that Tuxedo Mask isn't a threat, and so far his actions have proved that. I know instinctively that he isn't an enemy like we know how to use our powers." She insisted.

"This isn't the past. It's the twenty-first century and we all have lives to live, and just because you came along and awakened us as scouts doesn't mean we're going to push everything to the side or throw everything away just to spend as much time together as possible!" Serena told Luna angrily.

"I don't always leave our meetings, and when I do it's after we've finished talking about Scout business. If I have plans I have plans. I'm not going to ditch them just because you want us to spend as much time together as possible to talk about nothing but random things that happened during our day to day lives."

"And I think it's interesting that your only problem is with me spending time with my boyfriend, and not the classes I'm taking after school or spending time with my other friend." She noted.

"I'm not giving my boyfriend up for _anything_ ; not even the princess!" Serena told the feline outright. "I'm sure the princess has a life of her own, and whether she remembers the past or not I doubt she'll appreciate us trying to guard her twenty-four seven interfering in her life. Just because we're supposed to protect her doesn't mean we'd suddenly be her friends and she'll want us around her."

"Perhaps you should take some time to think about that!" Serena said angrily.

She huffed and began to pack up her things, knowing she needed to leave before her secret came out into the open. Her emotions were high and the last thing she needed was her powers coming to the surface and giving her true identity away.

"I could have accepted your decision if not for your reasoning. You aren't being objective as you're supposed to be. You're, in fact, being narrow minded, and that needs to change quickly or we're going to have some serious problems!" Serena told Luna in a quiet yet angry tone before she grabbed her bags and walked toward the door and left.

* * *

Raye, Amy, and Luna sat in stunned and surprised silence after Serena left. None of them since meeting her had seen Serena angry. She was always calm, collected, or happy.

Raye for her part had the strong sense that that was only a hint of the anger Serena could express if given a good enough reason. She then shook her head slightly.

"Serena's right." She said as she looked to Amy and Luna. "Since I've been a scout Serena has acted like a leader. Making sure we're training, using our powers to the best of our abilities and making sure our teamwork is solid, and that we're physically fit."

"Yes." Amy agreed as she looked to Luna. "I don't want to be the leader. Serena's been doing just that since I became a scout as well. Even now when she's clearly upset she didn't bad mouth you or call us out on any mistakes we've made. And I _did_ make mistakes." She admitted. She knew that for a fact, and wasn't ashamed to admit it.

"Serena's also right about Tuxedo Mask. He's been helping us consistently and without complaint. He doesn't question our motives or get in our way." She added. "And let's not forget she's the one who found each of us, having seen our planetary symbol glowing on our forehead."

"To be honest despite the conversations we've had about finding other scouts I thought it would be Serena to do it since she apparently has the ability." Amy said, and Raye nodded.

"Serena's also right about us having lives to live. We obviously won't be able to be with the princess all day every day. We all have to go to school, and she might go to a different school then us." Raye said.

"Or she might have things to do after school like we do. Or she might not go to school at all. She might be home schooled or out of school altogether." She added.

"You can't forget Serena and I go to school together, are in the same class, and already know what's going on with each other. If anything we need time apart to have something other than Scout business to talk about." Amy added, and Raye nodded.

"The three of us spend our weekends together after our training, and usually make plans to spend time together during the week after our individual obligations. If we can't manage that there's the fact that we're always calling each other and catching up." Raye added.

Luna sighed heavily. Serena's reaction was unexpected. She thought she might be irritated but not angry with her decision. She also hadn't expected Amy and Raye to defend Serena the way they had; to basically argue for why Serena should be the leader instead of Amy.

Amy not wanting to be the leader wasn't surprising. She knew she was shy and quiet but she was intelligent, and Luna had hoped that giving her the responsibility of leadership would bring her out of her shell.

And she really did believe that Amy's intelligence made her the best of the girls to be the leader. Even with learning that she wasn't as cautious of the masked man as she'd thought, and with what she had heard them say about the leadership Serena had apparently been doing all these months.

There had been nothing said about her leadership during encounters with monsters, and just because Tuxedo Mask helped them during attacks and didn't question them didn't mean he wasn't an enemy. He could be lulling them into a false sense of security only to turn on them when they least expect it.

"I hear you; I hear what you're saying, but I still strongly believe Amy is the best to lead you in the search for the remaining scouts and the princess, and to protect the princess once she's found." Luna said to them before she looked to Amy. "Your intelligence will aid your good judgement and help in making the best decisions."

Amy sighed in frustration. "It hasn't helped my judgement yet. Twice I've made bad decisions, during attacks, and both times directly affected Serena." She said, and realized just then that both times Tuxedo Mask had helped Serena after her blunders.

Raye shook her head as she saw that Luna didn't seem to want to hear them despite saying that she had.

"What are we going to do if the princess doesn't want us protecting her?" She asked, deciding to change the subject.

"It doesn't matter if she doesn't want you protecting her; she needs protecting from the Negaverse." Luna said. "It's too dangerous to leave her unguarded. If they get ahold of her or the silver crystal I can't even imagine the devastation that would happen. It would be even worse if the Negaverse got their hands on both!"

"What are we supposed to do if she goes to another school like Raye does?" Amy asked.

"You'll have to figure something out just like you did with Raye." Luna said.

Raye looked away and held in a sigh. _That solution came from Serena_. She thought.

Amy was thinking along the same line, and remembered what Serena said about the possibility of the princess not wanting them guarding her all day every day or if she would even like them.

She figured that most of the danger came from the attacking monsters, and that the princess wouldn't be out fighting with them so she should be safe enough. At least as long as the Negaverse didn't discover her current identity.

"You mentioned rainbow crystals. What are they and how exactly are they supposed to help us find the princess?" She asked Luna.

"The rainbow crystals are seven small crystals, each a different color, that are actually pieces of the silver crystal. If you can collect them all then you can get the silver crystal, which will hopefully lead us to the princess." Luna explained to them, and they nodded in understanding.

"How are we supposed to find them since you said that wand could find them, and you obviously can't produce the wand?" Raye asked, and the cat sighed heavily.

"I don't know. I don't understand why the wand won't come to me." Luna said in confusion.

Both Amy and Raye silently wondered if Serena had been right, and the wand wouldn't come until the right decision was made.

 **~~uUuUu~~**

Serena cooled off during her walk home, but she was still upset when she arrived. She couldn't believe Luna.

She wasn't the overwhelmed naive little girl she had been the first time around that was willing to listen to everything Luna said without question or really complaining, and do whatever she said because Luna was supposed to know better than her. And because of that Luna didn't like her like she had the first time.

And Luna's fondness of her was apparently the only reason she had been made the leader of the Scouts the first time around. It wasn't because Luna saw something in her that spoke of potential or that she wanted her to have the responsibility and better herself. The cat just liked that she listened to her, and made her leader because of it.

Serena unlocked and opened the front door and waved to her parents distractedly before she headed upstairs to her room. She dropped her duffle bag on the floor next to her bed, and walked over to her floor desk and put her school bag on it. Then she sat on her bed and sighed heavily before she allowed herself to fall back and rest on her bed.

 _This was completely unexpected_. She thought.

Here she had been acting the leader; making sure everyone was found and awakened in a safe manner instead of during the heat and danger of battle, making sure everyone kept in shape and trained individually to become as familiar with their powers as possible, and made sure they had group training sessions to become comfortable and used to fighting with each other so they could work well together.

She had made sure everyone was safe and unhurt after attacks, even making sure the victims were fine after the fighting was done. All of that and Luna decided she wasn't going to be the leader, because she didn't think Tuxedo Mask was an enemy and questioned her knowledge and reasoning.

 _This is unbelievable, but I meant what I said before I left the meeting. I wouldn't have minded Amy being the leader, but just as I wasn't leader material the first time around Amy isn't leader material this time_. She thought as she shook her head slightly.

Serena remembered wishing the first time around that Luna had asked her if she wanted to be leader instead of just telling her she was the leader. She had just sprung it on her, along with everyone else, without any hint or warning.

Beyond Amy not being leader material she just wasn't who Serena wanted leading her Scouts. Her talents belonged focused elsewhere.

Still, she would find time to talk to Amy tomorrow at school to see how she was feeling about the decision. Not that it would change her mind. She would be leading her Scouts and that was that.

 _I'll see if Venus has leader material in this life, and if she does then I'll name her second in command; the one to lead and take charge when I can't. If she doesn't then I'll see if Raye or Lita are capable_. She decided.

Serena sighed and sat up before she got up to head downstairs. She wanted to call Darien and inform him of what happened, and then call Molly and vent to her a bit and talk about what she thought of gaining proof of her time travel; as well as what was going on with her and Neflite.

She left her room and walked down the stairs and grabbed the phone, and as she walked back up the stairs she heard her mom call her name from behind her. She paused and turned to look behind her and watched her mom walk up the steps toward her.

"Are you okay?" Her mom asked. "You seemed upset when you first got back." She said.

Serena looked over her mom's shoulder to see her dad still sitting in the living room.

"I was upset about a decision Luna made." She said as she looked back to her mom.

"Was it serious?" Her mom asked.

"Uhhh, it was somewhat, but ultimately Luna's decision doesn't matter. My word is final; even if Luna doesn't know it." Serena said.

Ikuko nodded, once again reminded that her daughter was a princess and the Sailor Scouts were her guardians, and she was the one making the decisions and not the cat.

"Alright. I just wanted to make sure you were okay." She said.

"I'm fine, and hopefully I'll get over it soon." She reassured her mother. "Right now I'm going to call Darien and then after him I'll call Molly."

"Okay. I'll let you know when dinner is ready." Her mom said.

Serena nodded and turned and continued on her way up the stairs. She started dialing Darien's number and listened to the ringing as she walked into her room and closed the door.

 _"Hello."_ She heard his familiar voice, and sighed at the sound.

"It's me." She said.

 _"Hey princess. Are you home?"_ Darien asked.

"Yes. I got home a few minutes ago." She answered.

 _"So how did the meeting go?"_ He asked.

"It started out good." Serena said as she walked over to grab her school bag. "We decided to speak to Lita about being a scout on Thursday, and tomorrow Amy will show her the arcade and Raye will meet them there so she can meet Lita before the reveal."

"We're going to meet up after school on Thursday, and hopefully go to Lita's place but if not then we'll go to Amy's apartment to talk. Of course that means I'll unfortunately have to skip on working out and training with you, but I hope to be able to make my gymnastics class." She explained.

 _"We can always do evening workout and training. We both know fighting at night is always possible."_ Darien said.

"Okay." She said as she sat on her bed. "So after my class."

 _"Yes. I'll pick you up from class and bring you something to eat since I'm sure you'll make your class in time."_ He said.

"Okay." Serena said, and sighed heavily as she began to pull out her homework.

 _"What's wrong?"_ He asked.

"After we made the decision on how to approach Lita Luna surprised us by choosing one of us as the leader." She said. "She chose Amy because she thought her intelligence would give her the ability to make better decisions, and because she would be cautious of you, Tuxedo Mask, and not leave meetings early." She explained, and he groaned.

"Exactly. Clearly she was talking about me and I called her out on it. She said we needed a leader that didn't trust easily and won't leave meetings to spend time with a boyfriend. That when the princess is found she can't be left unprotected to go do frivolous things." She continued.

 _"Seriously?"_ Darien said, his voice full of quiet anger.

"Yes, and I was upset and went off on her before I left the meeting; early ironically." She said as she shook her head. "Oh, and did I mention she tried to get the Crescent Moon Wand to give to Amy?" She added.

 _"What happened?"_ He asked.

"Nothing. The wand wouldn't come and Luna couldn't explain why." Serena said. "I told her it was likely because she wasn't making the right decision, and Luna said she believed she was, which led into the part where I went off on her." She explained, and he sighed heavily.

 _"That feline is not being objective. You've clearly been the leader that team needs."_ Darien said quietly. He didn't speak for a few moments and Serena waited patiently; knowing he had more to say.

 _"Things have officially gotten worse with Luna. Her behavior and attitude have steadily gone downhill, and at this point I really think you need to remove her from influencing your Scouts."_ He said.

Serena sighed and closed her eyes, hardly believing it had come to this, but Luna had taken it there.

 _"My princess. You don't need to put up with Luna just because she made you a scout. This isn't the past and Luna isn't your advisor; even in the past she wasn't. She was your mother's advisor, and she clearly doesn't know how to transition to being yours in the present."_ Darien said seriously.

 _"It doesn't matter that she doesn't know you're the princess she's supposed to answer to. She should still treat you respectfully, and not like a disobedient child that needs to be chastised."_ He finished.

Serena nodded, knowing he was right. Luna had gotten worse and was treating her exactly like he said, a disobedient child. Luna knew she was being the leader and was trying to punish her likely to get her to fall in line.

That wasn't going to happen. Luna had widely mistaken her if she thought such a strategy would work on her.

Her prince was right. Luna wasn't her advisor. She recalled her advising her mother quite well in political situations, but she wasn't doing that now. Whether she didn't want to do it or she didn't recall how was now irrelevant at this point.

Luna was being destructive to the cohesion of her guardians with her attitude and behavior. Not to mention singling her out as the one that was trusting, in her eyes, an enemy, and doing unimportant things instead of focusing on Scout business.

"You're right. Luna needs to be set aside." Serena said with quiet strength. "She's going to be needed at Lita's awakening simply because me producing Jupiter's transformation pen would give away my true identity, but after that she won't be needed. Artemis has already awakened Venus at this point, so she's already set."

 _"Good. We don't need dissension right now; especially not with Jupiter joining the team. Luna's words could confuse her. In fact, you're going to have to be careful of that during your talk with her come Thursday."_ Darien said.

"True. I'll have to watch for that." She said. "If it happens I'm going to have to decide if I want to counter her words right then or wait until our training session on Saturday."

 _"I'm sure you'll know what to do when it happens."_ He said.

"Thanks for the confidence." She said.

Before either of them could say anything else there was a knock on her door.

"Yeah?" Serena called out, and watched her door open to reveal her mother.

"Dinner's ready." Her mom said.

"Thanks. I'll be right down." She said, and watched her mom nod before she closed the door. "Did you hear that?" She asked her prince.

 _"Yes."_ Darien replied.

"I guess that's my cue to get off the phone since I can't very well talk to you and eat while at the table." She said, and paused thoughtfully. "Well, I can but not when my parents are there watching me." She added, and he laughed.

 _"We can try it another time, so I can listen to you chew in between sentences."_ Darien said in amusement.

"Alright." Serena said as she laughed. "I'll see you tomorrow."

 _"Okay; bye."_ He said.

"Bye." She replied.

 **~~uUuUu~~**

Serena stood in her room Wednesday evening wearing her bra, and a white knee length wrap chiffon skirt that she had just finished tying closed at her hip.

She had been home only a little over half an hour after being dropped off by Darien after their martial arts classes, and had only been out of the shower for a few minutes.

Tonight she and Darien were going on a double date with Molly and Neflite, which was something she and Molly had planned the night before when she called her after she finished eating dinner with her family.

She grabbed her blouse, a white cotton V-neck long sleeve wrap shirt with a red and blush red floral pattern, and as she slipped it on she thought back to the conversation she had with Molly.

* * *

 _"_ _Serena_ _." Serena heard Molly say after being put on hold by her mother._

 _"Hey Molly. How're you doing?" She asked._

 _"_ _I'm doing good. Just finishing off my homework_ _." Molly said._

 _"I still need to get started on mine, but I wanted to talk to you first." Serena said._

 _"_ _Ah I wanted to talk to you too_ _." Molly said. "_ _Lita Kino is real! I could hardly believe it when you introduced her at lunch. Is she really Sailor Jupiter?_ _" She asked in a rush._

 _"Yes she is, and we plan on telling her that on Thursday." Serena answered._

 _"_ _Wow. You and Darien are really time traveling._ _" Molly said. "_ _What's it like?_ _"_

 _"It's just like regular living I suppose; except that I have to be careful of what I say so no one realizes that I knew something before it happens, and before the information can be learned from the only supposed source." Serena said._

 _"It's only a little stressful when I'm around Luna and the girls since talking to them is where I can slip up and say something that I shouldn't know." She explained._

 _"_ _Well they don't know your secret, so you're pulling it off well enough_ _." Molly said._

 _"Yeah; maybe a little too well." Serena said with a sigh._

 _"_ _What happened?_ _" She asked. "_ _From the sound of your voice I know something happened_ _."_

 _"Today we had a meeting, and after we finished deciding on when to approach Lita about being a scout Luna decided to announce that we needed a leader among us and who that was going to be." Serena said._

 _"She decided on Amy, and made it clear that I wasn't fit to be the leader in her eyes because I trusted Tuxedo Mask, left meetings early, and am always spending time with my boyfriend; apparently a frivolous thing that can't be done when the princess is found so she won't be left unprotected." She explained._

 _"_ _What?! She really said all that?_ _" Molly asked._

 _"Yeah, and I went off on her. I basically told her that she was being narrow minded and wasn't being objective, and that she wasn't doing her job right. Then I left the meeting." She said._

 _"_ _Early_ _." Molly said in amusement._

 _"Yeah." Serena admitted. "I have left meetings early before, but only after we've finished talking about anything Scout related. Luna just wants us to spend all of our time together, and has a problem with me having a boyfriend for some reason."_

 _"_ _What are you going to do about that?_ _" Molly asked._

 _"I've decided that Luna needs to be put on the sidelines before she can affect the cohesion of my Scouts; especially with Lita coming onto the team." She said. "I'm not exactly sure how I'm going to do it, but it's going to happen after Lita is awakened as Jupiter."_

 _"_ _I want to know how it goes, so let me know after all is said and done._ _" Molly said._

 _"I definitely will." Serena said and then sighed. "So how are things going with Neflite?" She asked, and listened to her friend sigh._

 _"_ _I really like him. He's so handsome and gentlemanly. We went out only a couple of days after meetings for chocolate parfaits, and walked in the park and talked about whatever came to mind._ _" Molly said. "_ _I learned that he's twenty years old since I had been wondering since I first laid eyes on him._ _"_

 _"Now you have the issue with an age gap." Serena said._

 _"_ _I know, but I really like him_ _." Molly said._

 _"It's your decision." Serena said as she shrugged to herself._

 _She herself wouldn't have cared if Darien had turned out to be twenty. He still would have been her prince. The question would have been if he would have been willing to give her any physical intimacy with the age gap._

 _She didn't know. She supposed it would have depended on how strong the past prince in him was in comparison to the modern guy._

 _"_ _He's decided to work instead of going to school, but he's looking into taking online classes_ _." Molly added._

 _"Good for him." Serena said. "I wonder if Jedite has decided on what he wants to do." She said thoughtfully._

 _"_ _I don't know_ _." Molly said._

 _"I'll ask the next time I see him." She said._

 _"_ _You know, we should go on a double date._ _" Molly said suddenly. "_ _We'd all get to spend time together and I can go on my first date with Neflite without being alone with him_ _. "_

 _"Will that make you more comfortable? Not being out on an official date alone with him?" Serena asked._

 _"_ _Yes; especially since it will likely be in the evening_ _." Molly said, and Serena nodded to herself._

 _"What can we do? Something casual and not at all fancy." She said._

 _"_ _Yeah_ _." Molly agreed. "_ _Something casual would be great. Maybe a simple dinner and movie_ _."_

 _"Dinner first or movie first?" Serena asked._

 _"_ _Movie first I think_ _." Molly said thoughtfully. "_ _That way we won't have to sit through the movie with full stomachs or have to take a bathroom break during the movie_ _."_

 _"Alright then. Movie and then dinner. Now we need a when." Serena said._

 _"_ _You're obviously going to be busy Thursday, and it will have to be after your classes_ _." Molly said._

 _"How about tomorrow?" Serena suggested. "That way you'll have two days free if you want to have another, solo, date on Saturday." She said. Plus, she was free the next day since Amy and Raye had insisted on her not skipping her workout, training, and classes._

 _"_ _Okay. Tomorrow it is then. Now we just have to get the guys on board_ _." Molly said._

* * *

After Serena decided she would be the one to call Molly back they both hung up with each other, and called their guys to see if they were interested.

Thankfully both guys had easily agreed to the date and the plans they had made, so here she was getting ready for the outing. Along with the plans she and Molly made it was decided that Darien would drive, and he and Neflite would pick up Molly first and then her.

Serena tied her wrap shirt closed in a nice knot at the middle of her stomach, and sat down on her bed and began to pull on her white crisscross flat wedge sandals. She then stood up and walked over a few steps to look at herself in her vanity mirror, and turned this way and that way, nodding in satisfaction that she looked casual and yet nice.

She moved forward and sat down at her vanity table and put on her gold thin chain necklace with a small gold crescent moon pendant, then picked up her pink lip-gloss and began to spread it on her lips. Idly deciding as she did so to leave in her white stud earrings since they went with what she was wearing.

Serena rubbed her lips together slightly to be sure the lip-gloss covered all of her lips then closed it and put the little tube in her subspace pocket. Following her lip-gloss was her brooch, keys, and a bit of money. She wasn't interested in bringing a purse, and everyone she was going to be with that evening was aware of who she truly was.

She then stood up and straightened her clothes before she began to pick up her things and straighten up her room in the time she had left until it was time to leave.

That way she wouldn't have to worry about it when she got back. All she would have to do when she got back was change her clothes, and finish her homework since she had made sure to get the majority of it done at lunch during school.

A little over half an hour went by before the doorbell rang. She went and looked out her balcony and smiled as she spotted Darien's red car. She turned and grabbed her white cardigan sweater off her bed and headed out of her room.

 **~~uUu~~**

Once inside the theater building Serena and Darien and Neflite and Molly headed up the escalator chatting about their plans for the next day. They showed their tickets to the ticket checker before they continued down the hallway toward the theater rooms.

As they came up to the concession stands they decided against getting any snacks so they wouldn't ruin their appetites for dinner, so they continued on passing up one then another numbered theater doorway.

Molly looked over to the side and spotted the women's restrooms just up ahead of them. She touched Serena's arm to gain her attention before she nodded to the restroom. Serena looked and nodded.

"We're going to the restroom real quick." She said to Darien and Neflite. "You guys can go ahead and find us some good seats."

The guys nodded easily and continued down the hallway, and Serena and Molly walked over to the restroom door and pushed it open before stepping inside. They used the restroom, making sure they wouldn't have to worry about any breaks during the movie, and went about washing their hands.

"So what's up?" Serena asked as she began to dry her hands, knowing Molly had wanted to talk without the guys. "Are you already enjoying the date even though it's still the beginning?"

"Absolutely." Molly said with a sigh as she moved her hands away from the water. "I like him so much and he's so handsome. We've talked on the phone a lot and we've been able to meet up and spend time together during the week after he finishes training with you and the guys, and on the weekends."

"It's just nice being around him, and I love the sound of his voice." She added as she dried her hands.

"I can easily relate." Serena said. "I can't get enough of being around Darien and listening to the sound of his voice. Even on the phone he sounded really good."

"It's the same with Neflite, and talking to him is so easy. I was surprised that he found it easy to talk to me. He's even told me how hard a time he's having dealing with the death of his family; that it's like he's finally able to grieve since he couldn't before." Molly confided.

"Oh no. That's something I hadn't considered yet." Serena said as they walked toward the door. "Jedite's likely going through the same thing, and the others will as well if they have similar stories." She said as they stepped out into the hallway.

"It's just so sad." Molly said as they leaned against the wall near the door to the room where their movie would be playing. "He doesn't even know where his family was laid to rest, and he worries the wrong questions will be asked if he tries to find out." She explained, and Serena groaned quietly in sympathy.

"I can't even imagine being in such a situation." She said with a frown.

 _Is there anything I or Darien can do to help?_ She wondered as she hummed. Their powers could do a lot, but she wasn't sure they could find graves. She didn't even know how to go about finding the paperwork on what happened to Neflite and Jedite's families.

"Maybe they'll open up and talk to Darien. He didn't lose his parents in such a situation, but he did lose them violently. He might understand how they feel." She suggested.

Molly nodded with a sigh as she watched a couple and then a group walk pass them.

"I wish there was something I could do." She said.

"You are doing something. You're listening to him and being there for him. Just talking about it is likely helping him." Serena assured her.

"Hello ladies." They heard before Molly could reply and looked over to see a guy walking up to them. He smiled and looked back and forth between them before he focused on Molly.

Serena sighed internally, already seeing what the guy was about, and wondered how Molly would react. Before her thought could continue she felt a light tug on one of her streams of hair.

"You have beautiful hair." She heard a male voice say almost at the same time she felt the tug on her hair.

Serena bristled and spun around and snatched the guys hand from her hair, and twisted his arm around his back, listening to him cry out.

"Do _not_ touch my hair!" She said angrily.

She was serious about that. The only guy she let touch her hair was her prince. Even her father had stopped touching her hair after she turned five. And girls asked permission, and even that was rare since looking was good enough for most females.

She pushed the guy away from her, releasing his arm, and looked to Molly.

"Come on; let's go. We've kept the guys waiting long enough." She said before she walked around the first guy toward the door to their theater room.

Molly followed without a backward glance. After all, she had a very good looking guy waiting for her.

* * *

Serena waved to Molly as the car pulled away. It had been decided after they finished eating dinner that Neflite would use Darien's car to take Molly home, and she and Darien would be dropped off at a playground near Serena's house since they were interested in spending a little more time together.

They would have gone to his apartment, but they both still had homework to finish and they needed to get to sleep for school the next day.

 _Another day_. She thought. _We'll take advantage of some free time or go on a date, and be able to spend some uninterrupted hours together_.

Until then the couple would enjoy the passing minutes together until they reached her house. Serena held on to Darien's arm, he having offered it like the gentleman he was, and they silently walked through the grass of the playground.

"Thanks for tonight; for coming out on this date. I really needed it. It helped to take my mind off of what had happened with Luna." Serena said.

"No problem. I was glad to go; anything to spend time with you you know that." Darien said.

Serena smiled up at him before she looked back to the path they were idly walking.

"You shouldn't think about Luna at all until you're ready to deal with her." He added. "Your mind could be better occupied with something much more pleasing."

"Like you." She said as she smiled again.

"Do you find me pleasing?" He asked.

"My prince is always pleasing to me." She answered.

"Then yes; like me." He said.

Serena laughed softly and sighed as she leaned her head on his arm as they walked. He was good at that, making her feel better, and he was right. She needed to stop thinking about Luna and what the cat thought of her. Her prince was a better subject to focus on. His handsomeness, kindness, and intensity.

 _And it's all mine_. She thought as she glanced up to him.

There was no more worry about Raye trying to be her rival for him, no uncertain feelings, and nothing and no one that could keep them from each other. They fully remembered their past, and their friends and guardians would all soon be with them. All they needed to do after that was defeat the Negaverse, and they would be completely free to live their lives.

How different things would be if they had been able to do the same in the past. She would have been able to go to the Earth with no problems just like she did the other planets. She and Endymion would have met, openly courted, married, and ruled the Earth and Moon when it was their time.

She sighed lightly, loving the images that thought produced, but then she considered the reality of what actually happened.

Would their romance have been the same without the forbidden aspect?

Serena wasn't sure. She knew for her the first appeal beyond his attractive looks was the fact that she had never seen him in person. She had only seen him through the observation mirror in her palace home, and she knew with him he didn't even have that. He had heard of her, heard rumors of her looks, but he had never seen her before.

Beyond that the secretiveness of their meetings allowed them to talk and get to know each other in a way they wouldn't have had they been courting openly where anyone could listen to and join in their conversations.

So as much as it would have been nice to have been like other couples, and of course not died the way they had, she surprisingly preferred the past that they had. They had grown incredibly close, fallen in love, and proved how much they loved each other over and over again before and including the end.

Serena looked up to Darien again, taking in his peaceful face.

 _And here we are now_. She thought. _In our new life, and our second chance at that new life, and just as in love_. She blinked at the thought. _Yes. I do love my prince, and am very much in love with him_.

 _And he needs to know._ She told herself as she looked around and realized they were about to reach her house.

They reached the front of her house and Serena paused her steps and stopped Darien before he could guide her toward her front door. She moved to stand in front of him as he looked down at her questioningly, and raised her hands up and cupped his face.

"My Endymion. I love you." She said simply yet honestly.

Darien's eyes widened before they softened and he smiled happily. It was the first time she had told him that since they remembered their past. It was what he had been waiting for.

"I love you too." He said as he wrapped his arms around her waist then he leaned down and kissed her smiling lips.

 **~~uUuUu~~**

Thursday arrived quickly and found Serena, Amy, and Lita walking down the sidewalk after school on their way to meet up with Raye at the arcade.

Serena was still in her school uniform but she had her duffle bag slung on her shoulder filled with her gymnastics clothes and her workout clothes for after Darien picked her up from class.

But right now she was ready for Lita to finally join the team. She hoped it was an easy conversation, and that Lita wasn't too disbelieving. It was going to be made easier for Lita since she had agreed to have the study session at her apartment, so she was going to be in her own environment and able to move around as she wished with whatever she was going to be feeling.

It also helped that Lita had already met Raye. From her understanding the meeting had gone well the day before and the two got along really well; bonding over the fact that they were both strong determined young women.

As they walked and talked she looked over to Amy and saw that she was just as ready to welcome Lita onto the team, and as they arrived at the arcade she saw Raye and knew from the look on her face that she was ready as well.

The four young women left the arcade as soon as they greeted each other and followed as Lita lead them to her apartment; Luna subtly following them since she had followed Raye from school.

Almost half an hour later they arrived at a five story apartment building. They followed Lita inside and up the stairs to the top floor, and into her cozy apartment with plants visible everywhere they looked. They settled in the living room and connected dining room, sitting at the table and on the couch, and began to take out their homework and textbooks.

Serena sat on the couch with Amy, and she looked over at the table where Lita and Raye sat on the long side facing the living room. She glanced under the table where Luna was sitting to stay hidden, having followed them into the building and snuck into the apartment when they all entered. Serena hadn't paid her any attention since she wasn't going to help her get in; not with the decision she had made in regards to her.

She looked to Amy and saw her looking back at her with an encouraging look as she idly leafed through her notes. She nodded and looked over to Lita, and tried to think of how to get started.

She thought back on how she did it with Amy and Raye, and decided to do something similar. With Amy she had started by asking what she thought of Sailor V, and with Raye she had outright said that she and Amy were two of the scouts that had been in the news fighting monsters around the city.

"Hey Lita." She called as she leaned against the arm of the couch. "What do you think of the Sailor Scouts that are going around the city fighting monsters?" She asked.

Lita looked up, surprised at the subject, but shrugged.

"I think they're interesting and inspiring. I like that they're strong female warriors doing the fighting and saving the day." She answered, and Serena nodded and smiled; liking her thoughts.

"How old do you think they are?" She asked, and the tall girl hummed thoughtfully.

"They have to be at least twenty." She said. "With the few images I've seen of them they don't look younger, and I think they just can't be younger anyway. They're doing something so dangerous, and how could they work that around their school lives without having any conflicts? What about getting around their families or do their families know or do they not have families?"

Amy, Raye, and Serena shared a commiserating look.

"Having schedules, good time management, and quick thinking are definite qualities that they would need to have to make it work." Raye said.

"It wouldn't matter how dangerous or what they had going on in their lives; they would still have to go out and do what they had to do when the time came." Amy added.

"What would you say if I said they're actually younger than the twenty you think?" Serena said.

"I would ask how you know that." Lita said.

"What if I said I know because I'm one of them, and that there are two more here with us?" She said.

Lita blinked and looked at her calm yet serious face, and then looked at Amy and saw she didn't look surprised or shocked. Then she turned her head to look at Raye, and saw that she too looked calm and not at all surprised.

"You're kidding me." She said as she looked around at all of them. "There's no way!" She added, but even as she said that she remembered the morning she met Serena and watching how efficiently she had handled those big guys harassing her.

"I'm Sailor Moon, Raye is Sailor Mars, and Amy is Sailor Mercury." Serena said calmly. "We have yet to come across Sailor V, but I'm sure she's one of us and it's only a matter of time."

Lita looked at them wide eyed, and watched as Raye and Amy nodded in confirmation.

 _This is unbelievable. They're actually saying this. They can't be serious._ She thought.

"You're serious. You guys are actually sailor scouts." She said in disbelief.

"How about we prove it so there will be no doubt." Serena said.

Lita watched as Serena reached up and pulled the gold brooch, she had thought was only a pretty decoration, off her uniform top and stand up. Then watched as Amy stood and with a gesture of her hand a blue and gold pen-like object fell into her hand out of nowhere.

She quickly shifted her gaze to Raye and saw that she was already standing, but was in time to see a red and gold pen like Amy's fall into her hand. Then she watched as they held up those items, and listened as each girl spoke a phrase.

"Mars Power." Raye said.

"Mercury Power." Amy said.

"Moon Prism Power." Serena said.

Lita watched as bright blue, pink, and red light filled the room around her, blocking the girls from view. She squinted her eyes until she had to close them then quickly opened them back up as she registered that the bright light was gone.

What she saw shocked and surprised her. There standing in her apartment were three sailor scouts. Standing the closest to her, next to the table, was Sailor Mars, and over in front of the couch was Sailor Moon and Sailor Mercury.

Each wore a white bodysuit with a sailor collar, mini skirt, bows on their chest and lower back, long gloves, a choker, and a tiara on their forehead. Each one had their own identifying color, she guessed, as well.

Mars was red, so her collar and skirt were red, the pop of color at the end of her gloves was red, and the gem on her tiara and high heel shoes were red.

Mercury's color was blue, so all of the things that were red with Mars was blue with her. Though Lita noted that she wore knee high boots instead of the high heels Mars wore.

And with Sailor Moon she had both red and blue as her colors. Her collar and skirt were blue, and her bows, knee high boots, gem on her tiara and the color on her gloves were red. Not to mention there were crescent moons in seemingly specific places on her entire outfit.

Lita blinked and released a slow breath as she looked at her still new friends turned warriors. They were truly sailor scouts. It was not a joke; it was very real. It was amazing, but also confusing. Why did they suddenly reveal themselves to her like this?

"I believe you." She said as she looked back and forth between the three of them. "There's no way I can't after this display, but why are you telling me this?" She asked them.

"Because you're one of us. The day we met I saw the symbol for Jupiter glowing brightly on your forehead." Serena revealed before glancing up to her forehead. "And it's still there." She added.

"Really?!" Lita asked in surprise, and looked to Amy and Raye, but they both shrugged.

"We can't see it. Only Serena can." Amy told her.

"Did they have glowing symbols too?" Lita asked as she looked to Serena.

"Yes. They each had it when I first met them, but not anymore. It disappeared after the first time they transformed." Serena informed her.

Lita nodded and breathed in a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"What now?" She asked.

"Luna." Serena said, her tone a firm command, as she looked down at the black cat still under the table. "You have a task to do, so get to it." She said calmly.

Luna stepped out from under the table and leapt up into the air, Lita gasping in surprise at the sight of the black cat, flipped forward and in a brief flash of light produced a pen.

Serena grabbed it out of the air and stepped toward the table where Lita still sat and held it out toward her.

"Your transformation pen. Since you have the symbol for Jupiter all you have to say is 'Jupiter Power' and you'll become one of us." She informed her. "So what do you say; will you join us?"

Lita reached out and took the transformation pen, as Serena had called it, and got a closer look at it. It was green on the bottom half and gold on the top half with the symbol for Jupiter engraved as a pendant at the top of the pen. As she looked at it she realized that it felt right in her hand; like it belonged there, belonged in her possession.

She looked to Serena and saw her smiling softly in welcome, then she looked to Amy who nodded with a light smile, and lastly to Raye who raised her eyebrow and her chin as if to say 'are you going to do it or not'.

Lita stood up from her seat and looked to the transformation pen, _her_ transformation pen, before she looked to them and nodded.

"Jupiter Power!" She said firmly as she held the pen up.

She closed her eyes as she found herself suddenly surrounded in bright green light that felt charged, as if with static electricity, but didn't hurt or make her feel numb. When the light cleared she opened her eyes and looked down to herself, and saw that she was just as transformed as they were.

She was wearing the same white bodysuit they were, but her color was obviously green. The only difference that she could see was that instead of high heels like Mars or knee high boots like Moon and Mercury she was wearing laced up ankle boots.

And the bow on her chest and, after twisting slightly to see, lower back were pink. She lifted her hands to her ears and felt that she was still wearing her pink rose stud earrings.

She looked up and saw that they were all smiling at her.

"Welcome to the team Sailor Jupiter. We're glad you're finally with us." Serena said.

"Thank you." Lita said, and watched her sit down. Amy and Raye followed, so she returned to her seat as well. "Now what?" She asked.

"Now we clue you in to everything you need to know, and answer any questions you have. First, I'll start with an introduction." Serena said, and gestured to Luna who hopped up onto the coffee table in front of the couch.

"This is Luna." She said calmly despite her feelings toward the cat. "She's the one who gave us all our transformation items, and she has something else for you."

Luna turned her head toward her with a look that said she had no idea what she was talking about. Serena took a slow breath in through her nose and let it out the same way.

"The communicator." She told her, masking her frustration.

Luna said nothing but leapt up into the air once again with a flip that produced a small pink object. Serena once again caught the object and stood up before she walked over to Lita and handed it to her.

"This is your communicator." She informed her. "We use them to contact each other for anything Scout related. From planning meetings, relating important information, to notifications of attacks in progress."

Lita nodded and watched Serena turn and head back to her seat then looked at her new communicator. It looked like a small mini calculator that could barely do the basic function, but looking closer she saw the buttons had planetary symbols and that there was a tiny screen.

She put the communicator on the table, and then listened as Raye explained about the subspace pocket she now had and how to use it. Lita gestured with her hand as she had seen them do, and watched as her communicator disappeared.

"Cool." She said, and Raye smiled.

Seeing that had been explained Serena began to explain how she became a scout and her reaction to it, briefly touched on her first fight, and when she saw the Mercury symbol glowing on Amy's forehead.

Amy took over the storytelling explaining how Serena had befriended her and how she and Luna had come over to her apartment one evening and revealed to her that she was a scout. She hadn't believed it at first since she couldn't see herself as being a scout, but once she transformed there was no denying it.

She told of her first fight and what an experience that was with the danger around them and her emotions running high, and yet keeping them in check to deal with the situation in front of her.

Then she went on to explain hanging out with Serena and their friend Molly as they visited the Cherry Hill Temple, and Serena later informing her and Luna about seeing the Mars symbol glowing on Raye's forehead.

Raye continued from there telling of Serena, Amy, and Luna coming to her family temple the next day and speaking to her in private. She had been disbelieving at first of the strangers that had come wanting to speak to her in private only to talk about them being scouts and that she was one as well.

They transformed to prove it and then she transformed, which helped to cement what she had just learned. After that they had talked and she'd learned how they each became scouts, and what their purpose as scouts actually was.

"There's a purpose beyond fighting those monsters?" Lita asked, and then blinked as the cat, Luna, actually spoke. She'd understood from their explanations that she obviously could, but it was another matter to be listening to a cat talk.

"The Sailor Scouts fight the monsters to stop them from taking the energy they steal from their human victims." Luna said. "Beyond that it is your duty as a scout to locate any remaining scouts, and find the Moon Princess and protect her. You are one of her Guardian Scouts, and until you and the others find her she will be in danger." She explained.

"Why is this princess in danger, and who is she for that matter?" Lita asked.

"She was the heir to the throne of the Moon in the past, and sent to a future on the Earth with all of us to have another chance at life." Luna answered. "She's in danger because she is the only wielder and holder of the imperial silver crystal, and if our enemy, who unfortunately was also sent on to have another chance at life, finds her she will be in terrible danger." She explained.

"If she's found by our enemy she could be made to fight for them or just be killed outright so she can't use the silver crystal against them, and that's with or without them finding the silver crystal." Amy said, and the new scout nodded.

"What does she look like?" Lita asked.

"Unfortunately I don't remember." Luna said.

"Alright. Who is this enemy, and what do you know about them so far?" Lita asked them. "Obviously they're the ones sending out the monsters, but what else?"

"Our enemy so far are the monsters sent out by possible generals." Raye said. "Possible because we've only seen one general so far, and he was dealt with weeks ago, but the monsters are still coming so there must be another one or at least someone else sending them."

"The general we saw claimed to be a general for someone named Queen Beryl, and that she was the leader of the Negaverse." She added, and Lita nodded in understanding.

"How many scouts are there supposed to be?" She asked.

"Luna doesn't know," Amy answered before the feline could. "but we figure after you there's probably one more. We believe she will wear orange."

"Sailor V doesn't wear orange does she?" Lita said, and frowned as she tried to remember the last picture she had seen of the scout.

"There is some orange, more like a little, but more red and blue in her outfit then anything." Amy said.

Luna, Raye, Amy, and Lita were silent as they considered that detail. Was Sailor V the last scout or was there another in addition to her that wore orange?

Serena on the other hand was silent because she knew that Sailor V was in fact the last of her Guardian Scouts, and she didn't want to speak and risk giving anything away.

"Okay so we're reincarnated guardians of a reincarnated princess, and as scouts we have to find and protect her. We only fight the monsters sent out by the Negaverse because we were born on this planet and the monsters are a threat to our way of life, but more importantly they, and the Negaverse, are a threat to the princess." Lita said.

"Did I sum that up about right?" She said as she looked around at them.

"Perfectly." Serena said seriously.

And she meant it. She knew very well that if they had been in the past instead of the present the Scouts wouldn't be fighting monsters on another planet. That planets guardians or soldiers would be taking care of that threat. The only way the Scouts would fight them was if they were a direct and immediate threat to the princess.

"Okay." Lita said as she nodded. "You all have obviously participated in fights. How do you prepare for them? Can you prepare for them?" She asked.

"We can and do prepare for them." Serena answered. "We train individually during the week, working out to keep in shape and practicing with our powers, and on the weekend we have group workout and training so that we'll be comfortable fighting together and using our powers in combinations."

"You remember I mentioned my martial arts classes." She said, and Lita nodded. "Well, they're part of my training, and in addition to those classes I take a gymnastics class to help with my balance and maneuverability during fights." She explained.

"I do my training and workout in the forest behind my house." Raye said.

"I use the park closest to my apartment." Amy said.

"I use a park that isn't too far from our school." Serena added. "It has an attached recreation center, but it also has secluded woods around it."

Lita nodded thoughtfully, considering where she could do her workout and training, and then frowned.

"How are we supposed to find the princess in order to protect her?" She asked.

"The silver crystal could very well lead you to her." Luna said seriously. "You all need to start looking for the rainbow crystals, which are actually seven different colored pieces of the silver crystal. Getting the rainbow crystals can get you the silver crystal, which might ultimately lead you to the princess." She explained.

Serena pressed her lips together.

 _Luna seems to remember pieces of information randomly since she certainly didn't remember anything about the rainbow crystals months ago_. She thought in irritation.

"How are we supposed to find these crystals?" Lita asked.

"There's a wand that can help locate them that your leader is supposed to use, but for some reason I can't produce it like I did with your transformation pen and communicator." Luna said.

"We have a leader?" Lita asked in surprise.

She watched as Serena simply blinked but her face remained calm. Amy grimaced and looked away, and Raye pressed her lips together and looked like she was trying not to roll her eyes.

"Yes. I picked Amy as the Scouts leader only two days ago, because I believe she's the best to lead you with her intelligence leading you in the right direction and to help make the best judgements and decisions." Luna said.

"I've already refused. I don't want the position." Amy said instantly. "I'm no leader. In fact, I'm still learning how to work properly in a team."

Lita tilted her head in confusion as she looked from Amy to Luna, and opened her mouth but paused as she glanced to Serena.

Serena calmly shook her head, and mouthed 'later'.

Lita closed her mouth and then decided to ask something else instead. Clearly there were issues or at least a disagreement between Luna and the rest of the group.

"So being reincarnated as we are does that mean we'll remember our past lives?" She asked.

Serena released her transformation as she listened to Luna explain that they should remember, and that she hoped they would remember soon; that she was hoping to remember more too since it would help them so much.

 _Luna won't appreciate what I'm going to do to her once she realizes I've remembered all along. It certainly won't help her._ She thought as she looked over to Amy, seeing her release her transformation as well.

However, it did bring to mind helping the girls remember. If Darien could unlock the past memories of his Generals she could do the same with her Scouts.

 _Perhaps I'll do it after Venus joins us or possibly after the last general is freed_. She considered thoughtfully.

 _I'll know when the time comes_. She thought as she tuned back in to hear Lita's next question, and watched her and Raye release their transformation.


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer** **: I do not own Sailor Moon or her characters, and have no right to it except as a long time fan.**

Unexpected Restart  
Chapter Eleven: A Summons and a Retrieval

Early Saturday morning Serena and Amy stood in their workout clothes at the edge of the park talking quietly while waiting on Lita and Raye to arrive so they could get started on their workout and training.

Amy had shown Lita where the park was and the area they trained in the day before so she would have no problems finding the place that morning.

It was only a few minutes later that Lita arrived and then a couple after that that Raye arrived; both dressed in their workout clothes. They all greeted each other and began to walk further into the park toward the area they normally used for their training sessions.

"So I've held off asking the questions I had since you all said to wait until today." Lita said. "Why _did_ we have to wait until today to talk?" She asked.

"Because we never know where Luna is since she follows us around sometimes, but we can talk here because I made sure from the beginning that she would stay away from our group training." Serena explained, and Lita nodded.

"What's up with you guys and Luna?" She asked. "There's obviously some disagreement between you all."

"You know Luna decided that I was going to be the leader." Amy said as she looked to Lita. "Well, I don't want to be the leader and I told Luna that. We, me and Raye, think Serena's been acting more like a leader since we each became scouts."

"If it wasn't for Serena we wouldn't be training like we are." Raye said. "I hadn't even thought about training when I was awakened until it had been brought up. I thought we would just be scouts, transform, and fight when it was time; not working out and training."

"Even Luna never mentioned training." Amy spoke up. "That was all Serena, and it was quick too. We started as soon as possible after my first fight."

"I thought training would help us. I started working out and signed up for my classes not long after becoming a scout so I could be the best I could be." Serena said as they walked. "Luna never mentioned training to me either, and I decided after my first fight that Luna was useless in that area."

"Why?" Lita asked as they reached the area where they would be training. "And what happened at your first fight?"

"I got to the location of the fight and was faced with a monster that was controlling the people there. It made the people attack me and I hadn't known what to do." Serena explained. "They weren't monsters, just people being controlled, so I looked to Luna for instructions or advice on what to do but she just looked back at me without a word."

"I ended up running away and trying to avoid the people, but there were so many that I had to start pushing them and hitting them to try and knock them out. While I was doing that I had called to Luna, asking her what I was supposed to do, and all she said was to use my power. When I asked how Luna said to use my instincts; to trust them." She continued.

"I was so frustrated and a bit angry that Luna had just made me a scout, and then wasn't even telling me how to _be_ a scout." Serena said as they sat in the grass. "I didn't have the instincts Luna had been telling me to use and trust; at least not toward my powers and fighting. She eventually told me to use my tiara and I defeated the monster."

"Then after Amy's first fight I decided training with each other was something that needed to happen. We needed to practice with our powers together, in an environment that was safe and controlled, get used to fighting physically, and we needed to learn how to work together." She said.

"I also thought after Amy was awakened that if I could make it happen each new scout would train with us before her first fight so she could learn her powers and get used to them before having to use them in a fight." Serena said. "Neither Amy or I got that benefit and I know I wish I had; especially after Luna's lack of help."

"I wish I had as well. Especially since I was alone against the monster at first, and in an environment I had never thought a fight would take place." Amy said.

"What happened at your first fight?" Lita asked curiously.

"I was in my after school cram class and the teacher turned out to be a monster, revealing itself when it realized I wasn't using the program everyone else was using to study with." Amy said.

"So I was in class dodging razor sharp paper and avoiding the other students who the monster was controlling. I'd ended up discovering one of my powers while trying to avoid the monster and students, and then Serena and Tuxedo Mask arrived to help." She explained.

Raye then quickly explained her first fight so Lita could compare them all, and have a full picture of the types of fights they had been involved in and what she could possibly expect.

"Who's Tuxedo Mask?" Lita asked with a slight frown of confusion.

"He's a guy that's been helping us since my first fight as a scout." Serena answered. "He shows up at fights not long after us or sometimes at the same time, and helps us fight the monsters and then leaves after the monster is defeated."

"Back to your original question." She continued. "When Luna decided on Amy as the leader she gave her reasoning and what she said made it clear she didn't think I was fit to be the leader."

"She said our leader needed to be cautious of Tuxedo Mask and not trust so easily, and who wouldn't leave meetings early to spend time with a boyfriend. She was obviously talking about me since I had made it clear I didn't believe the masked man was an enemy like Luna was trying to say he was." She explained.

"And while I do leave meetings early sometimes it's always after we've finished talking about anything Scout related. Except for the meeting we had when Luna decided on who the leader would be. I'd been angry and left early so I wouldn't say something I might regret." She continued, and then sighed.

"Anyway, I went off on Luna and told her she wasn't being the advisor she was supposed to be. Instead she was being narrow minded and wasn't being objective. She was so quick to label Tuxedo Mask as an enemy when the man hadn't done anything to warrant the label. He could have been reincarnated like us and was just doing what his instincts tell him to do." She explained.

"As for the meetings, Luna just wanted them to spend all their time together for some reason. Like we, or at least I, wasn't supposed to do anything besides going to school, training, and hanging out with Amy and Raye." She continued.

"Beyond that Luna has a problem with me having a boyfriend, or at least a problem with my boyfriend, for some reason. And even further she just seems to have a problem with me." She finished.

"Why do you think that?" Raye asked.

"Because you and Amy don't think Tuxedo Mask is an enemy and yet Luna isn't saying anything to you guys about being too trusting." Serena said as she looked to them.

"The first time I went on an evening date with Darien Luna looked surprised that I was going out, and asked who I was going with. I told her my boyfriend of course, I mean who else would I be going with; but Luna said she didn't know and that was why she asked, but she clearly made it sound like she thought I was the type of person who would have a boyfriend and then go out with someone else on top of that." She explained.

All three girls gasped in surprise and outrage. They couldn't believe Luna. This really was sounding like Luna had a problem with Serena specifically.

"Why is Luna being this way?" Lita asked with a frown.

"Yeah. You haven't done anything for her to be singling you out like she is." Raye said.

"I honestly think it's because I question Luna and don't take her at her word, don't take her word as fact. I don't do what she wants me to do or think I should do, and I guess she doesn't like that." Serena said with a delicate shrug.

"I don't believe for a minute that Luna isn't aware that I've basically been leading us since Amy was awakened. She just doesn't want to admit it because of her personal feelings toward me." She added, and the girls shook their head at the absent feline.

"What are we going to do about her?" Lita asked as she looked around at them. "If she's like this now, where even I can see it and I just joined you, then she'll only get worse."

"Don't worry about it. I'll deal with Luna soon. The cat will not come between us and ruin our team. We'll just ignore her and continue to do what we have been doing; working out, training, hanging out, and fighting monsters." Serena said firmly.

"Now then, you've been told what we're going to be doing here right." She said as she focused on Lita.

"I've been given a general explanation." Lita said.

"Okay." Serena said with a nod. "Here's exactly what we're going to do. We start first with our workout, then we spar with each other, and then shift into training with our powers."

"First we stretch then do sit ups and pushups, stretch again, jog before shifting into running laps around the area, and stretch yet again. After we finish all that we start to spar, taking turns against each other, and after we finish we transform and work individually with our powers before we come together and work on combinations." She continued.

"After that we work on things we think would help during fights. The last thing we did was work on dodging. We're going to continue that today, and I also have a couple more things for us to work on." Serena explained.

"Wow. This is getting serious." Lita said as she blinked her eyes wide, and everyone laughed and nodded.

"We take our time with exercising." Serena added as they began to stretch out. "We go at our own pace instead of trying to keep up with whoever is the fastest. There's no need to rush."

"Okay." Lita said with a nod as she stretched her legs.

They all spent a few minutes stretching out all their limbs completely before they moved around to give each other space and began to start on their exercises.

As each of them finished doing the amount of sit ups and pushups they were comfortable with they stretched before they stood up and began to jog around the area. After a lap they shifted into running.

They continued on lap after lap and only stopped at the number of laps their body was comfortable with then stretched out their bodies to make sure cramping was prevented.

When they finished they began to spar. Serena decided they would all spar with Lita so they could all see how they fought, and spar against each other another day.

Serena faced Lita first, then Amy, and lastly Raye. They were all confident in their fighting ability by now, so they had no problem going up against the tall young woman.

They each lost but they all expected it since she had seemed like a fighter from the moment they met her, and for Serena she knew that Lita was a really good fighter. She was just glad that she had held her own as well as she did.

After that Lita showed them different moves that would help them and complement their fighting style, and they took turns sparring again, this time while Lita watched, to test it out in a practical use.

Once Lita finished helping them get the moves right and practicing them a few times Serena decided it was time to move on and practice with their powers. They took out their transformation items and calmly transformed; each being surrounded in pink, green, red, and blue light.

When they stood as scouts Amy and Raye moved off to different sides of the area they were in to start practicing with their power leaving Serena and Lita where they had been standing.

"Okay in order to access your power you need to first focus on how your transformation felt to you then concentrate on wanting to use an offensive attack. From there you just need to trust your instincts and see what comes to you." Serena stated, and Lita nodded.

"Good luck. We're here for you if you need us." Serena said.

"Thanks." Lita said, and watched Serena move away heading for an open space away from Amy and Raye.

She sighed and turned to face away from everyone, and closed her eyes and focused on the remembered feel of her transformation. She recalled the green light and the static electric feel that didn't hurt or make her numb as she concentrated on wanting to unleash an attack against a monster.

An electric charge filled her body suddenly and her arms came up instinctively just as, unknown to her, an antenna extended up out of the top of her tiara. She opened her eyes as she crossed her arms over her chest, seeing electricity crackling around her, and spoke the words that came to her mind.

"Supreme Thunder." Lita called out.

She watched as lightning literally rained down from the sky directly above her, feeling it gather around her head, and extended her arms out almost like she was throwing them and launched the lightning at a tree.

The attack slammed against the tree and the lightning crackled around it before dissipating. She figured it would do actual damage against the monsters she was going to be going up against.

"Congrats on finding your first attack." Raye said as she walked over.

"Well done." Amy said as she nodded.

"Congratulations." Serena said as she stopped near her. "Now you can either practice the attack, launching it quicker, trying to lower or intensify the shock of the lightning, and controlling it after you've launched it, or try to see if another attack will come to you before practicing."

"Do you all have more than one attack?" Lita asked curiously.

"Raye and I discovered a new one a while ago during a fight." Amy answered.

"I discovered one recently during practice because I wanted another attack that could help more during fights." Serena replied, and Lita nodded.

"I'll try to see if another one comes to me before I begin to practice." She said.

They all nodded and moved away and back to their sections to continue practicing with their own attacks.

Lita turned back toward the tree line and took a deep breath as she closed her eyes, and once more focused on the feel of static electricity and now lightning. She remembered the charged and determined feel and thought of how she wanted another attack to be able to help her friends fight the monsters threatening the city.

Once again an electric charge filled her body and she followed her instincts and brought her arms up and placed her hands palm to palm. She opened her eyes at the feel of lightning crackling around her slightly, and pulled her hands apart to see lightning stretched between her palms. A white disk of electricity formed, and she suddenly knew exactly what to do with it.

"Sparkling Wide Pressure." She called out, and threw the disk toward the tree she had targeted before.

It sailed straight toward the tree and slammed into it; the electricity spreading around the area it hit before it dissipated into nothing.

"Alright! Congratulations." Serena said as she walked toward her with the others.

"Yeah congratulations." Amy said. "Did you know there's an antenna extending out of your tiara?"

"No." Lita said as she shook her head. "Really?" She asked as she reached up to feel it. She found it easily and carefully traced it along its length up above her head.

"Yeah." Raye said as she nodded. "It was there after your first attack as well." She added, and Serena and Amy nodded along.

"That's pretty cool." Lita said with a smile as she lowered her hand. "So now I should practice with both attacks." She said, and they all nodded.

"Once you've had enough of that we'll come together and start working with our powers together to create new combination attacks." Serena told her.

Lita nodded and spent the next forty or so minutes working with her two new attacks. She launched them over and over again trying to become familiar with them and launch them as quickly as possible. When she felt her speed couldn't get any quicker than she had made it she moved on to working on the intensity of each attack.

She first started with trying to make them stronger, and she found she could do that by focusing more energy as her power was building before she actually launched the attack. The attacks crackled more loudly, but thankfully still didn't damage the tree.

When she was satisfied with the stronger quality of her attacks she switched to making them as low powered as possible by lessening the amount of energy as her power built. After launching the attacks she noticed right away that while they crackled the same they were much quieter.

She continued to launch her attacks over and over at the different levels of intensity to try and make them instant responses so she didn't have to think about it.

Once Lita felt focusing on her attacks would do her no more good that day she and the others moved on to combining their attacks.

First they each showed her all the abilities they had available to them so she could be aware of them, and then they each began taking turns to try combining their attacks with the lightning attack Lita thought would work best.

Serena went first and they combined her tiara with Lita's _Sparkling Wide Pressure_ attack, and then her _Cosmic Starlight Illusion_ attack with Lita's _Supreme Thunder_ attack.

Raye went next combining her _Mars Flame Sniper_ attack with Lita's _Supreme Thunder_ attack, and then her _Mars Fire Ignite_ attack with Lita's _Supreme Thunder_ attack.

Amy then took her turn and combined her _Shine Snow Illusion_ attack with Lita's _Supreme Thunder_ attack.

Lastly they worked on group combinations trying to find ones that would work best with all of their powers.

Serena's tiara with Raye's _Mars Fire Ignite_ attack and Lita's _Sparkling Wide Pressure_ attack, Serena's tiara with Amy's _Shine Snow Illusion_ attack and Lita's _Supreme Thunder_ attack, and Raye's _Mars Flame Sniper_ attack with Amy's _Shine Snow Illusion_ attack and Lita's _Supreme Thunder_ attack.

Once they had the combinations decided on and had performed them to make sure they actually worked together they tried them from different angles; while they were standing, while crouching on the ground, and while perched in treetops.

They managed to get the combinations down from those angles for the most part, but there was some bright explosions as the combinations connected and tried to combine before they were supposed to.

Still, they managed to get them right the majority of the time and that was what mattered.

"Okay, I want us to practice moving through the trees and tree tops as if we're avoiding attacks by the enemy." Serena said once they finished and came back together in the middle of the area.

She had thought that exercise was a good thing to learn after Darien had her do it. She had found it challenging, but fun as well.

"It's something I recently started doing, and thought it was something you all should learn as well." She added.

Amy, Lita, and Raye nodded as they thought about it. Amy and Raye had trained in wooded areas, but they hadn't treated the area like a field test for an attacking enemy. Lita on the other hand hadn't done it at all; her training had focused on martial arts in a dojo and at times a remote area.

"After we finish practicing that exercise I want to talk about and practice what to do if one or more of us is hurt or unconscious and can't help during the fighting. Or even if one or more of us simply _cannot_ make it to a fight." She said.

She thought that was definitely something her Scouts should know. She especially wanted them to be able to fight as a team without her there.

"We haven't been put into a situation like that yet, but I want a plan in place in case it does happen." She informed them.

Again they nodded in agreement, seeing that as a good idea, and then they all took off into the trees; Serena ahead of them to give an example of exactly what she wanted them to learn.

 **~~uUu~~**

At the same time nearly across the city in a wooded area, incidentally where the mansion Neflite had been using, Darien, Neflite, and Jedite arrived. Neflite appearing in a brief flash of deep green light and Darien and Jedite in a gold light; Darien having brought Jedite since he had never been there before.

Darien had unexpectedly been given the day off so they had all decided to go get some training done like they hadn't been able to do before. They would continue to get used to using their powers and fighting together.

That was why they had chosen that location. It was very secluded and they could use their powers a bit more freely there. Neflite had assured them that no one in the Negaverse had known he had chosen the mansion as his base of operations.

They moved a bit deeper into the woods and silently transformed in a blue, red, and golden light as they took on the general forms and in Darien's case his royal form.

Darien pulled his sword from its sheath and looked around at the trees. They weren't in a clearing of any kind so the trees were close together; although not too close. They would have to worry about dodging around trees, stepping over bushes, and avoiding tree roots.

"I want us to have a mock sword fight so we can be sure our reflexes are on point if we need to engage in a real sword battle." He said as he looked back to his generals.

The two generals nodded and reached for their swords. Neflite drew his sword revealing a deep jade green blade made of nephrite, and Jedite pulled out his sword revealing a red lavender blade made of jadeite.

"Just swords, no powers added?" Neflite asked.

"Just swords to begin with, and then afterward we can add powers. We'll see what our condition is, and if we'll need a break before that." Darien explained.

Jedite and Neflite nodded and brought their swords up in a ready position they were comfortable with.

The three young men eyed each other as they stood in a loose circle, their bodies relaxed, but the grip on their swords strong as they waited to see who would make the first move.

A few tense seconds passed before Jedite swung his sword toward his prince who blocked it instantly.

Darien spotted Neflite swinging his sword at him from the corner of his eye, and he kicked Jedite away and ducked under Neflite's sword. He straightened up and swung his sword down at him, but Neflite quickly spun away; the movement his only option since his sword wasn't in a position to block the incoming blade.

Jedite came up behind his prince and brought his sword in a swipe down toward his head, but sensing movement behind him Darien spun away to the side away from the movement and Neflite. As he stopped he brought his sword up and swung it down toward Jedite's outstretched arms, but Neflite stepped up and blocked his sword with his own while Jedite quickly backed up.

The prince and general exchanged quick sword blows that were thankfully all blocked. Strikes coming down from above their heads, from their sides, and the occasional swing up from below.

After a couple of minutes Jedite decided it was time to step in. He stepped forward and brought his sword down between them and his prince leapt back from where he had his sword crossed with Neflite's.

Neflite blocked his downward strike and they began to face off, blocking strikes from various angles as the sound of their swords clashing echoed around them.

All the while Darien slowly walked around them in a wide circle, his sword at the ready, his eyes trained on their every movement.

He thought they were doing well. They were moving quickly and smoothly; no jerky movements whatsoever. He believed even he and Neflite had done well in their brief solo spar. They had all done well so far; striking without hesitation, fully believing their strike would either be dodged or blocked.

He let their spar go on a little longer before he decided that it was his turn to face Jedite. He quickly stepped forward toward Jedite's back and brought his sword down toward his head and back. Jedite sensed him coming and quickly ducked off to the side, which forced Neflite to bring his sword up to block.

Darien brought a foot up and kicked him in the stomach sending him stumbling and quickly swung his sword off to the side toward Jedite, but Jedite took a quick step back and swung his sword toward his, blocking it and pushing it aside, before he quickly brought his sword toward him as if he was going to cut him in half.

Darien allowed himself to fall back to avoid the strike before he rolled backward and onto his feet. He pushed off from his crouched position and ran at Jedite with his sword pointed straight toward him.

Jedite firmed his stance and once the oncoming blade was close enough he swung his blade at it, swiping it to the side, and turned with the movement until his back was almost against his prince's chest. He elbowed him in the chest to make some room, and quickly spun around and swung his sword down to slash at him.

Darien quickly brought his sword up to block even as he caught his footing, and found himself trading quick strikes with Jedite; blocking left and right, up and down, and dodging this way and that way with the occasional spin or ducking movement.

They each suddenly saw movement from the side as they clashed swords, but as they paused they found a third blade locked with theirs and looked to Neflite's smirking face.

From there the three of them began to exchange rapid fire strikes, blocking occasionally, and ducking and dodging when they couldn't.

"Stop!" Darien called a halt after a few minutes. "How are you feeling?" He asked as he looked at the two men.

"My arms are starting to get numb." Jedite said.

"Mine too, and my hands are shaking and my muscles are starting to hurt." Neflite revealed, and Jedite nodded.

"I'm having the same issues." He said.

"Okay." Darien said before he sheathed his sword.

He looked at his own hands and found they were shaking too and slightly numb. His arms didn't hurt but they were starting to ache.

"I'll heal the strain in your arms and after that we should work with our powers before we get back to practicing with our swords." He said as he walked toward them.

Neflite and Jedite nodded and watched as their prince's hands took on a golden glow before he ran his hands up and down their arms and over their hands. They nodded their thanks and he nodded in return as he let his power sink back inside him.

"Have fun with your powers." He said.

"You too." Neflite said.

"Yeah have fun." Jedite said.

The three young men all separated; moving to different sections of the forest and facing away from each other, so they could practice without disrupting one another.

Jedite stopped when he was a good enough distance from his prince and Neflite, and looked around at the trees before he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He could feel the air moving through him and around him, and as he let out his breath he wondered what he should start with first.

 _Barrier first_. He decided. _I'm going to need it when we use our powers in combination with our swords_.

He narrowed his eyes as he focused and within moments a transparent red lavender barrier sprang up around him.

 _Now for invisible_. He thought as he focused yet again, and in the next moment the barrier around him became completely transparent.

He nodded to himself and began to focus on its size, returning it to its red lavender tinted transparency so he could see his progress.

It wasn't long before he found he couldn't make his barrier any larger than what he started with, which was only a couple of feet away from his body. Enough room for him and one other person if they were close enough to hug him.

 _Well, that's good enough since the only one I'll need to protect with my barrier in such a way is Serenity_. He thought.

Jedite then focused on decreasing the size of his barrier to make it smaller. Slowly the barrier shrunk around him, and he watched as it became nearly a second skin on him. Already he didn't like the thought of a situation where he would need his barrier that close, but there was always the possibility of it happening.

With that thought he began to work on his speed in making his barrier fit to his body, managing to do it quicker and quicker each time. Once he was satisfied he shifted to trying to make his barrier about a foot or two away from his body; larger than the close fit he had been practicing but smaller than the few feet he had originally started with.

When he succeeded at that he practiced putting it up quickly for a few minutes before he began to cycle through the various sizes he had decided on and putting them up as quickly as possible.

After all, it would be pointless to have a barrier at all if he couldn't put it up quick enough for it to be of use.

Once he was satisfied that he could use the various sizes of his barrier quickly enough he moved on to practicing with the rest of his abilities.

He made mini tornados above his hands that took on the red lavender color of his power, created a sphere of air in his hand to throw, and then created wind blades the size of basketballs. Each one he aimed at a tree or the grass around him, and watched as it worked just as he was used to.

He continued to launch them at various trees as he worked on the different levels of intensity so he could use them in training against his fellow generals, and eventually the Scouts, without doing serious harm, and use them during fights with enemies so he could inflict maximum harm.

Nearly half an hour passed as he practiced with them before he moved on to practicing with a couple of new attacks he had created during a previous training session.

He took in a few calming breaths before he took a last deep breath, and focused before he began to spit out puffs of air like bullets from a gun.

They shot out of his mouth rapidly, one after the other, sped through the air and slammed into the tree he was aiming for. There was no real force since he didn't want to damage the tree, but it was enough so he could continue to get used to the motions and pressure needed to perform the attack.

From there he began to practice for long minutes focusing his aim on the ground instead of the tree so he could practice different levels of force and get used to them.

When he was satisfied with that particular attack he moved on to the other attack he had created. He held out a hand with his palm facing a tree and focused his mind on the images of what he wanted to happen.

Immediately a scattering of long needles made of red lavender tinted air flew from his palm and hit the tree like it was a pin cushion before they disappeared into the surrounding air.

With this particular attack he found that it wasn't the force and speed he needed to practice but the sharpness and bluntness of the air needles. Just like his other attacks if he was using it in training against the others then he didn't want it to seriously harm, but he wanted it to be felt so they knew they were hit.

After a few minutes of working on that attack Jedite took a deep breath and let it out slowly as he relaxed his body before he began to focus on his power. It was time he work with his powers on a slightly larger scale since it was one of the reasons they were there in that remote forest.

He closed his eyes and felt the air around him and focused on what he wanted. Soon he felt wind slowly swirling around his body before it picked up speed, and he opened his eyes to see a mini tornado surrounding his body and reaching up into the trees.

In a section away from his fellow general and prince Neflite stood surrounded by trees and wondered where to begin. Endymion wanted to use swords with their powers after their solo practicing, so it would be best to make sure his barrier was up to his standards.

Neflite narrowed his eyes as he focused on his power, and almost instantly a transparent deep jade green barrier sprang up around him.

He took a deep breath and began to pull it in and push it out to work on making it smaller on a couple of levels until it was almost a second skin. Then he dropped it and practiced putting it up as quickly as he could.

Once he was satisfied with his speed he dropped his barrier a last time, and decided to work with his abilities on a larger scale.

He steadied himself and concentrated before he lifted a foot and stomped it on the ground. Instantly there was a rumble through the ground and two large boulders broke through the grass and lifted into the air in front of him and off to the side.

He narrowed his eyes slightly and lifted his hands before he clenched them into fists causing the boulders to crumble into pebbles. He breathed calmly as he let them fall to the ground and gestured with his hand toward the ground, and watched as the pebbles sank into the ground and the grass sprouted over the two spaces making it look as if nothing had happened.

Kneeling down he slammed his palms on the ground at his sides, and watched as two round pillars as thick as the forest trees around him made of solid rock came sprouting out of the ground like flowers.

He didn't have to use the physical movements, but he liked to and it was how he had originally learned to use his powers in the past. He figured if it was a first time enemy he was up against then it was okay to use the movements, but if it was an enemy that had seen him use it then he wouldn't use the physical movements.

Neflite stood up and pressed his fingers together on both hands until they were flat, and moved his hands back and forth in a horizontal gesture toward the pillars. He watched as round flat pieces began to fall from the top down as if the pillars were being sliced by an invisible knife with his every gesture until he was left with a pile of cut rock.

He took a breath and gestured with his hands as if smoothing the ground and watched as the cut pieces all sank into the ground as if they had never been there.

Suddenly he lowered his hands to the height of his knees before he lifted them and his arms into the air as if he was reaching into the sky, and watched as a massive wall of rock rose with his hands and shot up above his head and hands.

He moved his hands back down toward the ground and just as before the rock followed his hands and the wall sank into the ground leaving undisturbed grass in its wake.

Neflite relaxed his body and looked around at the trees and decided to move on to his more smaller abilities since his other large scale abilities were too destructive to the area and he didn't want to spend all his energy fixing it.

He knelt on the ground and placed his palms flat in the grass and focused, an image coming to mind instantly, and just as quickly sharp spears made of rock sprouted from the ground in a circle around him.

Then he dug his fingers into the ground and thick deep green vines burst through the ground, wiggling like they were alive, before he silently directed them toward the spears. He watched as the vines wrapped around the spears and crushed them until they crumbled into dust and pebbles.

Neflite got to his feet and lifted and gently lowered his hands as if he was slowly pushing down on something, and watched with a slight nod as the wildly waving vines disappeared back into the ground.

He then slapped his hands together and gradually pulled them apart, and watched as a green whip made of braided vines with thorns seemed to grow out of his palm stretching longer the more he parted his hands.

Concentrating he made sure it continued to grow when his arms movement wouldn't take it further and only stopped when he was sure that it was longer than he was tall. He grabbed it by the makeshift handle he had fashioned, and began to fling his wrist around to snap the whip against the ground and the trees leaving deep thin lashes here and there.

Darien stood in his section with his eyes closed, tuning out the noise his generals were making, as he called on the power of his golden crystal. Immediately he felt the warmth of his power flowing through his body until it reached every inch and then move outward and surround him.

He knew his body had taken on a golden glow even though his eyes were closed to the sight. The warmth against his skin was comforting and reassuring as well as patient, which let him know his crystal was simply waiting for him to decide what he wished to do.

The first thing that came to mind was a barrier. He needed a personal barrier for himself. His generals could make such for themselves, so he should be able to do such as well. It was something he hadn't done in the past. Maybe if he had he would have survived when he shielded his princess from that fatal attack.

He breathed deeply and slowly as he pictured in his mind exactly what he wanted then focused on his power. Almost instantly he felt it react, and he opened his eyes to see a transparent gold barrier solidify around him.

He nodded to himself and let the barrier fade away, the power moving back to join the golden glow surrounding him, before he put it right back up. He needed to practice putting it up and taking it down, so it would become second nature and he wouldn't have to think to do it.

Plus, he was very aware that he was going to be using it later when they began using their powers with their swords. He certainly had no wish to be this up close with an attack.

Darien spent a full half an hour putting up his barrier and taking it down over and over again as well as working on making it slightly bigger to accommodate another person, and making it smaller so it practically acted like armor with it being so close around his entire body.

Once he was satisfied he would be able to use his barrier in the coming spar he moved on to doing something he had been meaning to do since his princess had informed him of her new attack.

He was proud of her for doing that, for taking matters into her own hands and coming up with an attack that could be useful and yet not reveal her true identity. He knew very well that he needed to do the same since his roses were not always useful. He needed something that could seriously hurt an opponent and yet not reveal his true power and in turn his true identity.

Still, he had no idea how to actually go about it. He had not had energy attacks in the past, and the first time around against the Negaverse was just him using his roses.

Serena had said she had simply been subtly experimenting with her crystal to come up with the energy attack, so he supposed he should do something similar.

He kept his roses in mind since the flower had worked so far to keep his identity hidden and had become a signature of his masked persona, then he focused on his crystal and asked if it had any ideas.

There was a warm pulse in his chest before images began to slowly cycle through his mind, and together he and his crystal managed to come up with two ideas for attacks that he could try.

Darien pulled out a rose as usual when he was about to attack, but instead of throwing it the flower was surrounded in golden light before it began to float above his hand.

 _Infinite Rose Beam_. He thought as he gestured with his hand, and watched as the glowing rose shot forward instantly shifting into a beam of multiple red gold energy blossoms as they streaked through the air.

They slammed into a tree that had been in the general direction he had directed the new attack, but didn't do anything to it likely because it was a tree and not a living person. Still, he knew it was supposed to blast an opponent.

"Okay." He said to himself before he prepared for the next attack he had in mind. He pulled out another red rose and focused as he stared at it.

 _Black Rose Cyclone_. He thought.

Its vibrant petals turned black and separated from the green stem as if being plucked by invisible fingers before they multiplied, and twisted outward and through the air toward the same tree like the opening of a cone. As it hit the tree he watched as the bark was cut up everywhere the attack hit.

Darien nodded to himself, pleased with the new attacks, and silently thanked his crystal for the aid. He was happy with the attacks, and decided he didn't need more. They were good enough.

He took a deep breath and let it out before he began to launch the attacks again, knowing he needed to practice with them so he would be comfortable using them. He needed to get used to launching them at various speeds and levels of intensity.

After a moment of thought he put up his barrier, deciding that it would be good practice to have his barrier up while he attacked. That way he wouldn't have to worry about being attacked from behind while he performed his own attack since his attack would go through the barrier and yet nothing would get in to him.

Half an hour passed as Darien launched his two new attacks again and again, feeling more comfortable with them each time he did it. He stopped after that time and released his barrier with a sigh before he turned around and looked to see what his generals were currently doing.

Of course they were both still working on their powers though Jedite was working on a larger scale than Neflite was. Still, they had all been left to their own devices for a while now, and they still had more to do.

Darien began to walk back toward the area they had started in and used his communicator ring to silently get their attention since Jedite had wind moving around him to a point that shouting would be necessary to even have a chance of him hearing.

Both generals looked around before they spotted him and he waved them toward him. They stopped what they were doing and walked toward him.

"I believe we've all had enough time practicing with our powers for now." He said when they reached him. "I want us to move on to work with our swords again; only this time we'll add our powers to them."

"Does the power have to come from the sword?" Neflite asked as he drew his sword.

"Yes. Only the sword." Darien answered as he pulled his own from its sheath.

Jedite drew his sword and held it out in front of him at the ready.

"I'm ready." He said as he took a few steps back.

Darien and Neflite took a couple of steps back as well as they readied their swords and kept their eye on each other.

Darien moved off to his side and swung his sword at Neflite who blocked the strike instantly. As they engaged in a traditional sword fight Jedite silently called on his power, red lavender swirls of wind instantly began to swirl around his blade, and swung his sword toward the two men.

Darien ducked under the blade that swung toward his neck and kicked Neflite in the stomach causing the man to stumble back as he stood up straight. Then sensing something off to his side he glanced over and instantly put up his barrier at the sight of red lavender wind blades coming at him. The attack slammed against his barrier and the remainder drifted off to his sides.

Neflite, having recovered, called on his power, deciding it was time to take things to the next level since Jedite had started to. He watched his sword begin to glow and swung it toward Jedite, smirking as green energy shot off the blade as a beam of leaves.

Jedite's barrier quickly sprang up around him and he watched the green energy slam into it before he moved away so the rest of the attack shot off into the trees behind him.

Neflite sucked in a sharp breath and called up his barrier as he watched his prince swing his sword at him, the normally silver blade glowing a bright gold as what looked like gold rose petals streamed toward him. The flower petals thankfully dissipated as they hit his transparent green barrier.

The three men looked around at each other, their barriers still up around them, before they dropped them and began to move toward each other.

For the next half hour straight the young men attacked each other switching from just swords to sword attacks without warning. Their barriers springing up and coming down when it was and wasn't needed as they protected themselves from and blocked the oncoming attacks.

When they were weary from that they sheathed their swords and relaxed in the grass for a few minutes before they began to stretch out their arms, legs, and body in general while they discussed what exactly they would do next.

They decided the only thing left to do without repeating what they had already done was physically sparring against each other, so they easily decided who would fight who first and that they would remain transformed.

After all, they would be transformed when they fought the enemy, and Darien would have a cape to deal with whether he was in his royal form or his masked persona.

Jedite and Neflite got to their feet to face each other, and Darien moved back and away to give them room.

 **~~uUuUu~~**

Serena sat on Darien's couch leaning against him that evening having come to spend the rest of the day with him after hanging out with the girls after their training session.

They had discussed their day of training and what they had worked on with their guardians. They had even discussed the possibility of her training with him and the guys so they could practice what to do if she was hurt or unconscious. Then after that they had eaten a snack and relaxed in the living room to watch a movie.

As the movie played Serena could not help thinking back on the girl's reaction to what was happening with her and Luna. They had been upset at Luna's stubbornness and frustrated that she wouldn't listen to what they as a team were collectively saying to her.

Beyond that she was still upset with Luna for deliberately not making her the leader she deserved to be. It just upset her that she was working hard to make sure her Scouts were in shape, trained up, and ready to fight, and on top of that making sure everything went as well as it could during fights and no one was seriously injured or taken by their enemy.

All that and Luna was focused on her trusting a guy that was helping them, and the fact that she wasn't hanging on her every word like it was the key to her success.

Right now she was glad Luna was still living with Raye because she didn't think she would be able to stand the constant sight of her anymore.

 _This can't go on_. Serena decided as she held in a sigh. This issue just continued to distract her, and now it was happening while she was trying to spend some relaxing time with her prince.

She needed to set Luna on the sideline like she had decided and such a thing couldn't be done until she revealed herself as the princess they were supposed to be looking for or Luna would try to say she couldn't do anything to her because she didn't have that right.

 _Well, I do have that right and it is time she knew it. However, before that I need all my guardians to be here_. Serena thought before she turned to Darien.

"My love." She said, instantly gaining his attention. "It is time for all of my Scouts to be in one place."

Darien nodded as he looked at her, understanding that it ultimately meant revealing who she truly was.

"It may also be time the girls know exactly who Tuxedo Mask is." He suggested.

"Yes." Serena agreed. "That would be for the best; get it all out at once."

"We'll keep my generals a secret until we have Malachite with us." He said.

"Yes." She easily agreed with that as well. She wanted him and his generals to be a united front when that happened.

"How do you plan to proceed?" He asked.

"I'm going to summon Mina to me, Sailor Moon me, since I want her to find out who I am at the same time as the others." She said. "I'm thinking I can guide her to the place where me and the girls do our training and meet her there."

Darien nodded, liking that idea. It was a place away from people and their curious eyes, and while it was also the place where they did their training the girls only went there on the weekends, so there was no chance of any of them seeing Venus before his princess was ready for them to.

"I'll make it seem like I got the summons as well so there won't be any in depth questioning of why Mina was led to me." He listened to her add.

"Good idea. When is the meeting going to happen?" He asked.

"Tonight." Serena answered. "I don't want to wait anymore. Now that Lita's part of the team I want Mina here so I can finally deal with Luna." She said, and he nodded.

"Do you want me there, hanging out in the area to see what Venus does?" He asked.

"No. I don't know what direction Mina will come from and don't want her spotting you. Plus, she might have Artemis with her and he might spot you." She answered.

"Okay." Darien said with a nod. He wasn't worried. Venus was her guardian and there was little chance an attack would happen. Then he hummed lightly, and considered that it was still possible. He would ask her to try and transform again so he would know.

Serena gestured slightly with her hand, focusing on her wand, and watched it appear with her crystal attached sparkling and glowing lightly. She held the wand in her hands and closed her eyes to better focus.

 _It is time for Venus to join me, and for my guardians to be complete_. She silently told her crystal. _I wish to summon her to me as Sailor Moon so she does not realize she is coming directly to her princess. Can you help me do this?_

Her silver crystal pulsed warmly, letting her know it was fully capable, and she smiled before she began to explain exactly what she wanted done.

Darien watched silently as his princess focused on what she was doing. A few quiet moments passed and suddenly her crystal began to glow brightly. It pulsed a few times before it flashed brightly causing him to blink his eyes closed.

When he opened his eyes a white pulsing twinkling star floated above the crystal before it took off across the room and passed right through his balcony glass door and off into the city.

"What now?" He asked as she opened her eyes and put her wand away.

"Now I transform and head to the park." Serena answered, and he nodded and watched her summon her brooch before she got to her feet.

"Moon Prism Power." She said calmly, and was instantly surrounded in bright pink light. After a few long moments the light faded leaving her dressed as the scout of the Moon.

"Transform again for me if there's an attack so I know." Darien said, and she nodded.

"I will, and if no attack happens I'll be back to let you know what happened." She said.

"Okay." He said, and watched as she smiled before she disappeared in a flash of white light.

 **~~uUuUu~~**

A young woman with blonde hair and blue eyes dressed in blue and white striped pajamas lounged on her bed in her bedroom with a pure white cat stretched out across her lap. She idly stroked his warm soft fur as she watched a volleyball game on her small TV that sat across the room.

She blinked lazily over to her window as she saw a flash of light out of the corner of her eye and only had enough time to tense her body as what looked like a glowing white star sped toward her right into her head.

Her eyes closed belatedly as her body froze and then she gasped at what she was seeing and hearing in her mind. At first all she could see was white light; it was nice and comforting but it was all she could see, then a soft warm feminine voice spoke to her.

 _"Venus. It is time for you to come to me. Seek out the scout of my home, go to her, she will lead you to me."_ It said, and the next thing she knew the white light was being replaced by images in her mind that stopped at a park.

 _"Go there; go now and seek out the scout of my home."_

The white cat that had been lying on the young woman's lap sat up before he stood up and looked at her.

"Mina?" He called. "Are you okay?" He asked, but she didn't answer so he rose up on his back legs and placed his front paws on her chest. "Mina? What's going on?" He asked worriedly.

Suddenly her arms wrapped around him holding him to her in a snug hug.

"She contacted me." Mina breathed out.

"Who?" He questioned in confusion, and watched as she opened her eyes and looked to him.

"The princess Artemis." She answered. "She just contacted me. She addressed me as Venus and said it was time to come to her."

"How? How..." Artemis was so shocked he couldn't even spit his question out, but she still understood.

"She said I'm to go to Sailor Moon and she'll lead me to her. She gave me directions to a park where I guess I'll meet Sailor Moon." Mina said. " _Now_ Artemis. She said to go right now." She added, and he sputtered.

"How do you know it was the princess? How did this even happen?" Artemis asked.

"I saw a white glowing star by the window just before it shot toward my head then all I saw was a comforting white light, and then I was hearing her warm soft voice speaking to me." Mina explained as she stood and placed him on the bed.

"I have to go. This is an opportunity I can't pass up; not with how long we've been looking for her. I could be meeting the princess tonight!" She added.

"Okay." Artemis said as he nodded in understanding. "You're right. It's an opportunity that you can't pass up, and it sounds like it's legitimate." He said, and sighed likely. "I want to go too, but I know you'll travel faster without me."

Mina smiled and nodded before she gestured with her hand, and watched her transformation pen appear in her hand.

It looked like an actual yellow pen with a clear cap on top. On the bottom of the pen and top of the clear cap was a section of orange, and on the top of the cap was a yellow five point star, and printed on the cap next to the medal clip was a small golden crescent moon.

"Wait!" Artemis said just as she opened her mouth to transform, and she watched him jump and flip in the air before he landed back on her bed; along with another pen.

"I think it's time for a new transformation pen since with the princess contacting you it likely means it's time you join up with the other scouts." He said.

Mina put her pen back in her subspace pocket and picked up her new transformation pen. It was thicker than her old pen with orange on the bottom half and gold on the top half with the symbol for Venus engraved as a pendant at the top of the pen.

"Here goes." She said and lifted the pen above her head. "Venus Power." She said, and was immediately surrounded in bright orange light so bright that she had to close her eyes. Despite its intense brightness it was also warm, and that made her relax.

When the light cleared she looked down at herself and saw that she was dressed somewhat similar to her old outfit, but not enough that anyone would recognize her as Sailor V unless they were really analyzing her.

She easily summoned her red mask and placed it over her eyes, so that she was identifiable as Sailor V to the scout she was going to see.

"I'll let you know what happened once I get back." She said as she turned off the light in her room and went to open her window.

"Okay. Good luck." Artemis said.

"Thanks." She said before she leapt out the window and took off at a dead run, following the instructions her princess had given her.

* * *

Sailor Venus stopped in front of what looked like the entrance to the park she was supposed to go to. It was dark out but she was sure this was the location she was supposed to be at, so she took a deep breath and let it out before she began to walk through the short grass and into the park.

She kept her eyes shifting from side to side and even turned around while she walked to make sure nothing was coming at her as well as to try and spot the scout she was there to meet.

A few minutes, that felt like hours, passed and she was stepping into a clearing and into the presence of a scout. Her long streams of hair swayed as she turned toward her with a curious smile.

"Sailor V, or should I say Sailor Venus?" The scout said, her voice quiet and calm.

"Sailor Venus is fine." She said as she removed her mask. "You're Sailor Moon? Did you get the summons as well?"

Sailor Moon hummed positively, allowing her to assume that she had gotten a summons, as she took in her look. She looked just as she remembered her from the first time around as well as the past.

"So I'm supposed to lead you to the Moon Princess, but it's a bit late and I'm sure the princess won't mind waiting until tomorrow. Not to mention I think it will be best if all the Scouts meet her at once." She said.

"Awww." Sailor Venus said, and then sighed. "I understand and I think you're right. It might as well be all of us at once so the princess doesn't have to have more than one introduction. It's just that the summons made it seem like I had to come meet you right this minute and I just thought that also meant I would meet the princess just as quickly."

"Ah." Sailor Moon said, hiding her amusement at the fact that she actually was meeting the princess she just didn't know it. "Maybe she wanted us to meet quickly since it was getting late."

"True." Sailor Venus said as she nodded.

Sailor Moon nodded as well before she stepped forward.

"So how did you become Sailor V? Did you remember you were Venus in the past or were you awakened?" She asked.

"Oh I wish I was able to remember, but no I was awakened by Artemis, a white guardian/advisor cat." Sailor Venus answered. "He found me, saw the symbol for Venus on my forehead, and approached me in my bedroom and told me I was Sailor Venus."

"That sounds almost like what happened with me. Luna, a black guardian/advisor cat, had come to me in my bedroom and told me I was Sailor Moon, but there was no mention of a symbol for the Moon on my forehead so I'm still wondering how Luna knew I was a scout." Sailor Moon explained.

"What?! Did the others have their symbols?" Sailor Venus asked.

"Yes they did. I saw them myself." Sailor Moon replied.

"You did?" Sailor Venus said, and the Moon scout nodded.

"Luna had said that only she would be able to see the planetary symbols, but I saw it with Mercury which is how I found her, and on Mars which is how we found her, and just days ago I saw it on Jupiter and that's how she was awakened." Sailor Moon said.

"Oh wow that means I really am the last." Sailor Venus said.

"Yeah you're the last to join us, but you appear to have been the first to be awakened. That means you've been a scout longer and have more experience, which can only be a good thing." Sailor Moon said.

"That's true." Sailor Venus said as she nodded, and then sighed. "So tomorrow."

"Yes tomorrow. That's when it will happen." Sailor Moon said. "Return to this spot early in the morning, and dress in comfortable workout clothes. And leave Artemis at home." She added.

"Why?" Sailor Venus asked curiously.

"That's when we have our group training session. You can meet the girls and we can work out and train and get to know each other." Sailor Moon said.

"And leaving Artemis at home?" Sailor Venus questioned.

"Luna won't be there. I made sure she stayed away when I first started the training sessions with Mercury and it's been that way ever since." Sailor Moon said. "I did this for two reasons. One, because Luna won't be out there fighting with us and she's useless as help anyway, and two because we'll be able to talk freely without worrying about Luna listening in or watching us from the sidelines and judging us."

"All of that applies to Artemis as well. Except the useless part in helping. I don't know him so he might be able to offer advice during fights if he happened to be there, but I know for a fact that Luna's useless in such a case." She explained.

"Wow." Sailor Venus said and nodded. "I'll be sure to leave him at home and tell him it's for scouts only." She said, and Sailor Moon nodded.

"I would appreciate that. It really is a time for us to bond with each other." She said. "I'll give you some information for you and Artemis to think about before our training session in the morning." She added, and Venus nodded curiously.

"Just before Jupiter was awakened Luna decided Mercury was going to be our leader; regardless of the fact that Mercury doesn't want the position and regardless of the fact that I myself have been doing the actual leading since Mercury's awakening." Sailor Moon informed her.

"In addition to that there are issues between myself and Luna, which is part of why she didn't name me leader, and Luna is not doing her job as an advisor properly." She added.

Sailor Venus' eyes widened at what she was hearing, and Sailor Moon nodded in agreement with her reaction.

"We'll talk more about it in the morning, and you can get the details from all of us." Sailor Moon said.

"Okay. I certainly have a lot to think about and tell Artemis." Sailor Venus said, and Sailor Moon nodded.

"Good luck getting to sleep." She said, and the orange scout groaned.

"Thanks." Sailor Venus said, and they laughed. "See you in the morning."

"Alright. Bye." Sailor Moon said.

"Bye." Sailor Venus said before they parted ways.

* * *

Mina crouch down between houses in her neighborhood near her own home and looked around carefully, her eyes taking in every window and doorway in sight to make sure no one was looking out.

It wouldn't do for anyone to see a scout going into her house.

Seeing no one she sprinted across the street and along the side of her house before she leapt up to her open window. She landed on the window seal and paused to make sure neither of her parents were in her room.

Not seeing them she stepped inside and quickly turned and closed the window before releasing her transformation in a bright orange light. She sighed and laid on her bed where she had been before she left, and blinked down as she felt a warm weight step on her legs and saw Artemis lay half on her stomach.

"So when I arrived at the location I found Sailor Moon waiting for me." Mina started quietly. "After we established that we were the scouts we were supposed to be Sailor Moon told me that she was supposed to lead me to the princess, but it was late and it would be better to wait until tomorrow; that way she can lead the other scouts to her as well." She explained, and Artemis sighed in disappointment.

"Yeah I was disappointed as well, but I understand. It will be better if we all meet her at once and together, so all of her guardians can be there for her." Mina said.

"We then chatted for a bit and she asked me if I had remembered the past or if I had been awakened. I explained that I had been awakened by you after you saw my planetary symbol on my forehead, and she said it was almost the same with her. Luna had awakened her but hadn't said anything about seeing a symbol that identified her as a scout." She explained.

"I thought that was strange and asked if the others had their planetary symbols. She told me that they did have them and that she had seen them herself, which was how each one had been found and awakened. Apparently Jupiter had only been awakened days ago." She continued on, and Artemis hummed thoughtfully.

"It's curious that the Moon scout was able to see the symbols." He said.

"She said Luna had told her only she could see the symbol, but apparently Moon could see them as well." Mina informed him, and he nodded thoughtfully.

"What happened after that? Do you know who Sailor Moon is now?" Artemis asked.

"No. She told me to come back to that same location in the morning so I could meet the others and we could all introduce ourselves at the same time." Mina answered.

"Why in the morning?" He asked.

"Apparently that's when they do group training." Mina answered. "I'm to dress comfortably because we'll be working out, and leave you at home. Luna won't be there either. It's a Scouts only thing."

"Why?" He asked.

"She said she had made sure Luna stayed away since Mercury was awakened; that it was so they could talk freely, train without being watched and judged, and because Luna wouldn't be at fights and in her experience Luna wasn't at all helpful during fights anyway." She explained.

"She said that applied to you as well except the last part since she doesn't know you and doesn't know if you'll be helpful if you were at a fight." She added, and he nodded.

"I understand, and she's actually right." Artemis said seriously. "Luna isn't a tactical battle advisor and wouldn't be able to help in that way, and I think it's a good idea for you girls to be able to talk to each other without worrying about me and Luna listening in."

"You'll be a stronger team by sharing your thoughts and feelings with each other. Plus, you already know I'm not always around when an attack happens, so it makes sense that you all learn and become comfortable fighting without our presence around." He explained, and she nodded.

"I'll tell Sailor Moon you agree with her and approve; especially after what I was told." Mina said.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"Before we parted ways Sailor Moon said she had some information for the two of us to think about before I meet up with the others in the morning." She said. "She told me first that just before Jupiter was awakened Luna had decided that Mercury was going to be the Scouts leader. Never mind that she apparently didn't want the position, and that Moon had been doing all the leading since she was joined by Mercury."

"What?! Luna shouldn't have made that decision." Artemis said, a frown clear in his voice. "It actually isn't her decision to make; it's the princess', and even if it was a decision she could make she should have waited until all the Scouts were together. What if the absent scout was a better choice for the leadership role?"

"Beyond that, if the one chosen didn't want the position then they shouldn't have it. It was one thing to be uncertain if they could do it, and another entirely to not want it at all. She wouldn't do the job properly because she was being forced into the position." He continued.

"And if a decision needed to be made on who the temporary leader would be until the princess could choose then it actually should have been me to make it considering my specialty. Luna wouldn't know all the characteristics to look for in such a leader." He said seriously, and Mina nodded thoughtfully.

"The last two things Sailor Moon said was that there were issues between her and Luna, which was part of why she had not been named the leader, and that Luna wasn't doing her job as an advisor properly." She informed him, and his eyes widened.

"Do you know what exactly Sailor Moon meant by that, and what the issues are between them?" Artemis asked, and she shook her head.

"No; she said we would talk about it in the morning so I can get all the details from all the girls." Mina said.

"I wonder what the issues could be." He said.

"I do too, but I think they might be connected to Luna not doing her job right." She said.

Artemis sighed and lowered his head to where his paws rested on her stomach and wondered what was going on with his counterpart. If she remembered anything of the past she obviously didn't remember it all or she was remembering what she did recall wrong.

 _More likely she's being stubborn from the little I remember of her personality_. He thought.

"I need to see Luna and speak to her, so I can understand what's going on with her. From what you told me of what the scout of the Moon said she doesn't seem like she's a problem scout, so the problem has to mostly be my counterpart." He said, and she nodded.

"Sailor Moon spoke quietly and calmly and she looked at me with a curious smile when I arrived. She seemed friendly and open as we spoke." Mina said. "I got the impression that she wouldn't have minded revealing her civilian identity to me, but she likely wanted to wait for the others so we could all be introduced at the same time."

"It sounds like she wants to make sure everyone is included and on the same page, which goes along with the training sessions she set up for the group. She wants you all to be able to work well together, and be comfortable with each other." Artemis said, and she nodded.

"I can't wait for tomorrow. We're going to learn so much, and finally meet the princess. I can't wait to meet her and see what she's like." Mina said excitedly.

"Me too. I wish I could remember more than that she existed and needed to be found and protected. It will be nice to finally know what she looks like." He said.

"Yes, and tomorrow we'll know." She said.

"Yes; tomorrow." He said.

 **~~uUu~~**

Serena ran off into the trees and once she was sure she wasn't being followed she stopped and focused on going to Darien's apartment, to the space behind his couch, and disappeared in a brief flash of white.

When she reappeared she was exactly where she wanted to be but found herself alone. The lights were on and even the TV was still on; although something else was playing instead of the movie they had been watching. She took a few steps and saw that no one was in the kitchen either.

"Darien." She called as she walked down the hallway toward his bedroom, a concerned frown beginning to form, but as she reached his bedroom she heard water running.

She saw that the door to his bathroom was open so she looked in, and smiled as she saw that he was in the shower. She stared for a few moments at his silhouette through the plastic shower curtain, and then grinned as she stepped into the steamy room.

She moved to the far side and slowly pulled the curtain back and peeked in, and got an eye full of her boyfriend's firm bottom. Her eyes roamed slowly up his back to his wet hair and back down over his glorious bottom and further to his toned thighs.

A sigh escaped her at the sight even as she blushed before she grinned and looked back up his body to see he was rubbing along his chest. She whistled and watched him jump slightly.

"My prince is looking _good_ tonight!" She said, still grinning.

Darien looked over his shoulder, steadying himself with a hand on the tile wall.

"Serena!" He said, seeing that she was still transformed and was eyeing him in a way that made him very proud and slightly aroused. "Stop looking at the goods." He added before he turned back to what he was doing.

"Why? It's not like I can see all of them. Don't you need to wash your hair? You have to turn around sometime." Serena said, and he laughed.

"How did the meeting go?" Darien asked, completely unbothered by her watching him. He had nothing to be ashamed of, and if he had his way she'd be seeing what she wanted to on their next date.

"It went well." She said as she finally released the curtain and her transformation, pink light filling the room for a few moments before it faded.

"Mina arrived about ten to fifteen minutes after I did, and we stayed transformed the entire time we talked so she only knows me as Sailor Moon." She explained as she grabbed his folded towel and took its place, sitting on the toilet.

"I told her it was late so I would lead her to the princess tomorrow, and have all the others with us at the time so it could all be done at once. She was let down by that since she thought she was going to meet the princess tonight." She continued, and Darien laughed.

"Yeah I hid my amusement at that as well." She said with a smile. "In the meantime she'll be joining us in the morning for our workout and training, so we can all meet each other properly."

"That sounds like a good start." Darien said from under the spraying water. "Are you going to tell the others tonight about meeting Venus and that she'll be joining you all in the morning?"

"I did intend to call them and let them know, but it would be interesting to just show up and see them wondering who the strange girl is before we all start introducing ourselves to each other. After all, I'm not supposed to know who Venus is either." Serena said.

Darien turned off the water and shook off the water from his arm before he reached around the curtain and gestured for his towel. Serena sighed disappointedly but handed it over as she listened to his voice.

"How do you want to go about revealing us to them?" He asked.

"We'll obviously have to wait until you get off work, so I'll have to delay it until later in the day." She said thoughtfully. "And it needs to happen in a secluded area; maybe the place where me and the girls train or somewhere else entirely."

The curtain suddenly slid open and she pouted slightly to see the towel wrapped around his waist, but then she smiled because he still looked so good; especially with his hair damp like it was.

Darien smiled at her as he stepped out of the tub, seeing her reaction.

"There needs to be somewhere for me to conceal myself, because obviously they shouldn't know I'm there until after you reveal yourself." He said, and she nodded.

"Perhaps a park that none of us has been to recently, that has lots of trees but isn't too far from anyone's place since we'll likely be talking afterward." She said, and he nodded and suggested a park.

"I can be near the park so when you transform I won't have far to go." He said as he stepped pass her out into his bedroom. "I can hide up in a tree and be ready for when it's my turn. Although, you'll have to let me know exactly when." He added, and she nodded as she followed him.

"I'll call out to you." Serena said as she sat on his bed. "How about we do it in the early evening just when it's getting dark out to be sure there won't be anyone around to witness us." She suggested.

"Yes." Darien agreed. "Everyone should be ready by that time." He said as he searched for a pair of sweat pants.

 **~~uUuUu~~**

The next morning came bright and early and Serena was up with it shivering in the cool air after she woke up. She quickly changed into her workout clothes and sat at her vanity table and began to brush her hair and twist it up into her usual style.

This day, as cold and quiet as it was starting, was going to be a long and eventful one. Today she and the girls would meet Mina and they would officially know that Sailor V was one of them, and Mina would be meeting all of them.

Aside from that she would be revealing who she truly was, and Darien would be revealing his identities to the girls. Everything would be out except for the fact that she and Darien were from the recent future and the existence of his generals.

Mina didn't remember the past so it was highly likely that Artemis didn't either, so there would be no worries of them knowing; of them recognizing the generals while they were part of the Negaverse.

Serena sighed. She hoped the last two generals weren't seen by the girls the way Jedite had been. That way it would be easier for them to accept the men when they were presented to them as her prince's guardians since she didn't think she would restore their memories until after that point; after they met the men as guardians.

She finished her hair and stood up as she took in a deep breath. She grabbed her keys and put them in her subspace pocket where her brooch already was from yesterday. She then slipped into her shoes and knelt down to tie up the laces before she stood back up.

She glanced around once more then left her room, closing the door halfway behind her, and headed downstairs and into the kitchen. She ate a quick breakfast of instant apple cinnamon oatmeal and drank some orange juice before she left the house and began her brisk walk toward the park.

As she walked she couldn't help wondering what the girls would think when they showed up for their workout and training only to find themselves meeting Sailor Venus.

They were sure to be confused at first since she obviously wouldn't be transformed, and then surprised once her identity was revealed, but after that they would do what they were there to do. They would talk, relay information, workout, and train.

They had all seen news reports about Sailor V and she was sure Mina had seen news reports about them; telling of what they had been doing at a given sighting, and possibly a vague description of a power they had tossed at a monster.

But today they would get to see what Sailor V could do, and she would get to see what they could do. Then they would all become familiar with the way each other fought and start working on new combination attacks.

Serena sighed as her mind began to wander. She was supposed to be focused on what was going to be happening that morning, but her mind drifted instead to what would be happening later that evening.

Her Guardian Scouts would be learning that she was the Moon Princess, that Tuxedo Mask was her boyfriend and the Earth Prince.

 _How will they react to the revelations? Especially to the knowledge that I've known from the start that I'm the princess and never said a word; had never even hinted at it_. She wondered.

 _I wonder who will be the first to ask if I have my silver crystal or maybe I'll show it while revealing myself_. She thought. _Will they ask why I never told them about there being an Earth Prince, and why I'm a scout to begin with since I'm the Princess_?

They were sure to ask why she hadn't said anything about remembering in the first place, and she already had an answer ready for that. They should also understand why she was upset with Luna as well.

 _Once they know they should understand my level of anger since even if I wasn't the princess they're looking for I still have the right to be upset at Luna's unfair judgment and unreasonableness_. She thought.

Serena blinked as she realized she was close to the park, and picked up her speed and made it there within a few minutes. She saw no one there at the front waiting, so she continued onward to the area they trained at and saw that it was empty as well.

She nodded to herself and returned to the entrance of the park and stood to wait. She was glad she had made it there before everyone else since she had wanted to get there before Mina to make sure everything went as smoothly as possible.

She was only standing there a few minutes when a girl with long blonde hair wearing a red ribbon walked up and paused slightly at seeing her before she continued forward. She was dressed for a workout just as she had asked her to, and she smiled both at the fact that she had listened to her and came dressed to work out without Artemis and in welcome.

"You're the first to arrive." She said as she held out her hand. "I'm Serena." She introduced herself, and the girl grasped her hand.

"I'm Mina." She said with a cheerful smile as they shook hands.

"It's nice to meet you. The others should be here shortly." Serena said. "Did you sleep well?" She asked.

"It was hard to get to sleep, but I slept well when I finally did." Mina answered. "Now I'm excited to meet the others."

"I'm excited to see how this goes since I didn't tell them about our meeting last night." Serena said.

"Why not?" Mina asked.

"Because I want us all on equal footing today." She answered simply. "We'll all be meeting each other today. While the two of us met last night it was obviously only as scouts; we didn't know who the other was outside of that." She explained.

Mina nodded and they continued to wait in companionable silence. Soon they were joined by Amy, then Lita, and lastly Raye.

She had introduced Mina to each of them as they arrived, but could tell that they were confused about why this girl was there with them and looking like she was going to be joining their training.

Only Lita had posed the question of why she was there, but Serena only answered that she would explain once everyone was there.

They walked away from the entrance to the park and further in, and once they arrived at their training area Mina stood next to her and Amy, Lita, and Raye stood across from them looking at them curiously.

"I introduced Mina to each of you when you arrived, but now that everyone is here and we are here in our training area I can let you know that she is also the Sailor V we have heard so much about and is, in actuality, Sailor Venus." Serena explained.

Mina smiled and waved as the others looked at her in surprise.

"Amy is Mercury, Lita is Jupiter, and Raye is Mars." She continued as she looked to Mina, gesturing to each of them respectively. "Do you want to explain how we met?" She asked. Of course that would keep her from having to explain a summons that she didn't actually get.

Mina nodded and looked to the girls.

"I was at home last night, minding my own business watching TV, when a white light came through my window. It came straight toward me and into my head before I could do or say anything." She said.

"The next thing I knew I was seeing a comforting white light in my mind and hearing a female's voice that was soft and warm. She called me Venus and told me it was time for me to come to her. I was to go to Sailor Moon and she would lead me to her. After that I began to get visual directions to this park, and was being told to come here." She explained.

"It was obvious right away that the voice belonged to the Moon Princess, so I followed her direction and came here to find Sailor Moon waiting for me." She continued. "She said she knew she was supposed to lead me to the princess, but that it was late and was best left for today; plus you all should be there as well so we all could meet the princess together."

"After that we chatted a bit and I told her to come back here this morning so we could all meet and so she could train with us." Serena said.

"I also mentioned to her that Luna made Amy our leader, that there were issues between me and Luna, and that I don't believe Luna is doing her job as an advisor right." She added.

"Now then, you will be meeting the princess today, and I've decided to lead you to her in the early evening when it's just starting to get dark out." Serena assured them. "Now that that's out of the way we can get to asking questions and filling Mina in on everything she doesn't know and learning what she does know."

"You're the leader." Mina said as she immediately looked to Amy.

"According to Luna, but I don't consider myself the leader." Amy said. "I think of Serena as our leader since she's been doing it since I became a scout, and doing a good job at it."

"So how did you become a scout?" She asked her, and Mina repeated what she told Serena about Artemis finding her and awakening her.

"We can stretch and talk at the same time." Serena said as she sat in the grass.

The others joined her and she began to tell Mina what they knew so far about their enemy and what they wanted. Amy and Raye joined in with further details here and there, and Lita listened closely since it wouldn't hurt to hear it all again.

After they had finished explaining it was established that Mina had known pretty much all of what they had said except for the existence of this Queen Beryl person and the generals.

"I knew there was someone at the top leading them, but I didn't know who it was or if there was more than one leading them. And I saw and dealt with people, mostly males, that were clearly ordering the monsters around, but nothing like the general you all described." Mina explained.

Serena kept quiet on that one. She _knew_ that there was another above Beryl, but she wouldn't be able to explain how she knew.

"Alright, so what exactly are the issues between you and Luna?" Mina asked as she looked to Serena. She was extremely curious to know; she and Artemis had wondered about it for a long time last night.

"It started off small." Serena said with a sigh. "When I first met my boyfriend Luna didn't like that I left her behind when I went to his place to get to know him. She didn't want me being alone with him. Like her being there was going to do anything."

"She was following you around." Mina said knowingly.

"Yeah." Serena said as she nodded. "This happened the day after I became a scout so it was still early on."

Mina nodded, completely understanding since Artemis had done the same with her.

"I went home hours later and Luna demanded to know where I had been and why I left her as if she had the right to know. This feline I had met only the day before; trying to act like she was trying to be my parent." Serena said slightly incredulous.

"Then there's the fact that she seems to not want me to have a life outside of going to school and being a scout. She's always questioning me when I go out with my boyfriend; did I really need to go, if I thought I had time for a boyfriend, what if there was an attack while I was with him?" She continued.

"After that there was the time I went on my first evening date with him. I was dressed up but Luna hadn't known why, and when I told her Luna asked if I was going with my boyfriend or someone else." She said, and Mina gasped and looked at her in surprise.

"Did she really think you were that type of person?" She asked with a frown. Human behavior was human behavior, but she didn't think any scout would act that way.

"Apparently." Serena said as she nodded. "And this without me showing any sign of such behavior. My boyfriend is the only guy I've spent any time with since Luna's known me. Her asking such a question had me thinking from that moment on that she has a problem with me personally for some reason."

"Beyond that I have a problem with the fact that Luna thinks Tuxedo Mask is an enemy despite there being no proof of that; thinking it no matter what I say." She continued. "He's an unknown, a mystery, and he _has_ mentioned the silver crystal but that doesn't automatically mean he's an enemy."

"When did he mention it?" Mina asked.

"At my first fight as a scout, and he hasn't mentioned it since." She answered. "She's focusing on that single fact and not even thinking around it. She isn't wondering if he was in the past, isn't wondering if he has a connection to the princess, if he remembers the past, or if he's even found the crystal and that's why he hasn't mentioned it again." She said, and then sighed.

"Just before Lita was awakened Luna named Amy leader, and it came out that Luna thought I wasn't fit to be the leader because I wasn't cautious of Tuxedo Mask, left meetings before she thought I should, and spent time with my boyfriend." She continued.

"Apparently that's a frivolous thing that can't be done when the princess is found, because she's going to need all of my time protecting her. Never mind that I have another friend that I spend time with and Luna has no problem with that or that I have classes after school that she's not complaining about." She explained.

"I went off on her after that and made sure that cat knew exactly what I thought of the opinions and conclusions she had about me." Serena said with a slight shrug, clearly displaying that she didn't at all regret it.

Mina shook her head in disbelief at what she was hearing.

"Amy and I defended Serena right after that since she left after telling Luna off, and it was obvious that she didn't want to hear what we were saying. She believes what she wants to believe and is determined to have her way." Raye said.

"It sounds like Luna just doesn't trust you. You aren't doing what she wants you to do and she doesn't like that." Mina told Serena seriously. "From what you all are telling me it's easy for me to see how Luna isn't doing her job properly. I wonder if Luna's mentality is coming from how things used to be in the past."

"If it was then that's one thing Luna actually remembers." Raye said.

"She's going to have to change if that's the case. This is the present and our lives are different." Amy added. "Even with needing to protect the princess we still have our responsibilities to deal with. We can't very well flunk out of school to spend every minute of every day with the princess."

"Yeah." Lita agreed as she nodded. "What about when the rest of us find someone to date? Is there going to be a problem with that or is it just Luna singling out Serena?"

"What if the princess is dating someone and doesn't appreciate us hanging around trying to protect her while she's on dates or are we supposed to try and forbid this unknown princess from dating to keep the guy from finding out who we are?" Raye put out there.

"Don't worry about it." Serena said. "We'll figure out a way to protect the princess without interfering too much with everyone's lives. Right now Luna is the problem. If she thinks she can continue as she is when the princess is around she's going to be in for a _very_ rude awakening."

"I guess we can just wait and come back to it after the princess is found since she's the one who can deal with her permanently and have Luna actually listen." Mina said, and Serena nodded.

"But in the meantime we should get started on our workout." She said, and then she began to explain to Mina exactly what they did during their workout and training sessions.

* * *

After the secret scouts finished training they agreed to head home to clean up and change their clothes before meeting back up at the arcade, after establishing that Mina knew where it was since she had passed it a time or two, to continue talking and getting to know each other as the young women they were.

Once they were all together at the arcade they settled down and began to talk. They learned what school Mina went to, how she was able to keep her secret from her parents so far, and what it was like to live with Artemis.

Mina in turn learned which schools they went to, what it was like living with Luna, and how they kept their guardians from knowing about their secret.

It was established pretty quickly that the majority of the fights they were in happened while they were away from home so they didn't have to worry about it too much, but when it did they were able to hold off until late night so their absence wouldn't be noted.

As the hours passed anything and everything they could think of was asked as they worked to get to know Mina and she them, but eventually the sun began to go down and they split up again after agreeing to meet up at the park where they train at; and be transformed when they did.

 **~~uUu~~**

Serena sighed as she crossed the street onto her block and continued down the sidewalk. They had all agreed to split up because they didn't know how long this meet and greet was going to take and needed to let their parents and guardians know they would be with friends.

Everything was going well so far. Mina was fitting in with them much more smoothly then she had the first time around, and she had no doubt that was because the circumstances were different.

She hadn't had to save them at the last minute, and hadn't had to find them as civilians and introduce herself. There had been no concerns about her personality and if they all would be able to get along or worries about being able to work with her.

And her reveal as the Moon Princess would definitely be much more subtle and calm then the danger fraught revelation it had been the first time around. It was going to happen the way _she_ wanted it to with no danger or injuries involved.

She was still pleased and thankful about the fact that none of the girls had questioned her on why they had to wait until nearly nightfall to meet the princess. They might very well have thought the question but they hadn't voiced it, which meant the trust was there in a way that it hadn't been the first time around.

 _And definitely in a way Luna wouldn't like_. She thought quietly. There was no doubt that feline would have questioned and tried to follow them.

Serena walked up to her front door and unlocked it before she opened the door and stepped inside. After closing the door she looked into the living room and saw her parents there watching TV.

"Hey mom, dad." She greeted them. "Can I talk to you really quick mom?" She asked.

Her mom nodded and followed her as she left the living room and began to head up the stairs. Neither of them noticing how her father watched her.

Serena led the way into her bedroom and closed the door before she sat on her bed.

"I'll be home late tonight; probably after dinner." She said.

"Why?" Ikuko asked.

"Because I'm going to be revealing my true identity to the girls." She explained, and her mom gasped as she sat on the bed next to her. "Sailor Jupiter was awakened on Thursday and I summoned Sailor Venus to me last night, but only as a scout. She doesn't know I was the one to summon her." She explained further.

"We were all introduced to each other at training this morning, so we all now know who Venus really is and she knows who we are." She added.

Ikuko was surprised that two more scouts were now around and so quickly at that, but she supposed she could understand the timing. If all the scouts were there then it was time to let them know the princess they were supposed to be searching for was there with them.

"What about Darien? Will he be there?" She asked.

"He will, and we'll be revealing his true self as well as his identity as Tuxedo Mask." Serena answered.

"Is Luna going to be there?" Ikuko asked.

"She will not. It will only be my Scouts." She said, and her mom nodded.

"Well, good luck. I hope everything goes well." Ikuko said.

"Thanks." Serena said.

"Would you like me to leave some food warming for you?" Ikuko asked.

"I don't know." Serena said thoughtfully. "I'll call to let you know if I'll be eating with everyone or coming straight home when we finish talking." She said, and her mother nodded.

"What are you going to tell dad about our little conversation?" She asked.

"I'll find something. Maybe I'll tell him you were asking for advice only a mom could give or something to that affect." Ikuko said.

"Thanks. I know it's hard to keep this from him." Serena said. "I wish he was ready to hear it, so you didn't have to."

"That's okay. I'm sure he'll be ready some time soon." Ikuko said.

"I hope so." Serena said before she glanced out her balcony and stood up.

"You're going now?" Ikuko asked.

"Yes. We were all together but went home to let our families know we would be out later than usual." She explained.

"Okay." Ikuko said again as she stood up. "Good luck." She said as they walked to the door.

"Thanks." Serena said as they walked down the stairs. "I'll let you know how it goes."

Her mother nodded before she walked back into the living room, and Serena opened the front door and walked out.

She walked away from her house and continued down the sidewalk and further until she came upon a subtle place to transform. She then pulled out her brooch from her subspace pocket and calmly transformed in a swirl of pink light until she stood as Sailor Moon.

With that done she continued on her way, running toward her location since it would look odd to see Sailor Moon casually walking down the street. Plus, her transformation was a sign to Darien that he needed to transform and get to the location they had decided on and make sure he wasn't seen when they finally arrived.

By the time she reached the park and the area where the Scouts trained the sun was completely down and it was getting darker. It wasn't quite night yet, but it was getting there. She slowed to a walk and found Mercury was the first to arrive.

"Hey." She said as she stopped near her. "Are you ready for this?" She asked, and her fellow scout nodded.

"I'm as ready as I can be." Sailor Mercury answered. "I'm also excited and can't wait to see what the princess looks like, and how she'll react to us." She added.

"I'm sure it'll all turn out fine and your questions will be answered." Sailor Moon said as she nodded.

Before either of them could say more Sailor Venus stepped into the clearing and waved at them cheerfully as she walked toward them.

"I'm _so_ excited to finally meet the princess!" She burst out.

"Me too, and I wonder if she'll like us." Mercury said.

"I wonder about that too, and I hope she does or it'll be harder to protect her." Sailor Venus said.

"Hey you guys!" Sailor Jupiter greeted, walking into the clearing just as Venus finished speaking.

"Hey!" They all greeted her in return.

"We were just talking about our hopes that the princess will like us, and if she doesn't then protecting her is going to be difficult." Venus said, and Jupiter nodded.

"Then we have to make sure we make a good first impression since that will likely be the deciding factor if she likes us or not; unless she just has a problem with one or more of our personalities. If that's the case then we can't do anything about that." She reasoned.

All of them nodded at her words; even Sailor Moon because she knew that if she hadn't liked their personalities there wasn't anything they could have done about that. They just didn't know that she could get rid of them, and get someone else who had a personality she liked.

If things hadn't changed with Raye that's likely what she would have done. As it was it may very well be what she did with Luna; or at least something similar. Artemis was more than good enough to be their only advisor. There was no need to actually replace Luna with another.

Just then Mars came jogging into the clearing and grimaced slightly when she saw all of them there clearly waiting for her.

"Sorry I'm late." Sailor Mars said as she walked up to them. "I took a longer route to make sure Luna wasn't following me."

"Did she try?" Jupiter asked.

"She followed me out." Mars revealed. "She caught me after I told my grandfather I would be staying out later than usual with you all. I told Luna the same but she seemed suspicious and wondered why I left you all only to come home and then go right back out to you."

She huffed just remembering it. It was none of Luna's business where she went and with who. It irritated her. She didn't answer to Luna. She answered to her grandfather, and he was the _only_ one who deserved to know where she was going and how long she would be out.

She supposed from the outside looking in one would think she only felt that way because of the problems between Luna and Serena, but that wasn't it at all. She was just getting a feel for what Serena had experienced, and was understanding more of why she felt the way she did about the feline.

She didn't know if Luna had a maternal streak, but if she did then she was going about it the wrong way. She was like the stepmother coming in with barely an introduction trying to be the mother.

"I think it'll be good for Luna to wait and meet the princess another time." Mars said.

"Did you tell Luna about me?" Venus asked.

"No, and I think it would be good for her to learn about you and the princess at the same time." She answered. "Is Artemis like that?" She asked, and the new scout shook her head.

"I told him what we were doing, but he had no problem staying behind. He's content to wait until the princess is ready to meet him now that he knows it's just a matter of meeting her and not finding her." Venus explained.

"Thanks for your consideration in making sure Luna stayed away." Sailor Moon said as she smiled lightly, and Mars nodded. "Alright then; let's get going."

Her fellow scouts nodded and she turned and took off running, the girls following, as she began to lead the way to the park she and Darien had agreed on the night before.

They ran through the park, ignoring the entrance they used to get there, swerving around and dodging trees and jumping over bushes before they existed the park and continued on.

They leapt onto a rooftop and jumped from roof to roof avoiding the traffic down below with people on the sidewalks and cars in the streets, and leapt onto and off of light poles and other various poles when necessary.

Eventually Sailor Moon spotted the park they were headed for and she began to move to lower rooftops before she jumped to the ground. She darted forward and leapt over the short fence and ran across the manicured lawn, ignoring the path, toward the tall trees.

She led them deeper into the trees wanting to make sure there was no chance of them being seen even though it was growing darker and darker out.

After a few minutes she stopped in an area that was not quite a clearing but had a nice sized space between the trees. She looked around the area, and nodded to herself as she caught a small glimpse of Darien up in the trees before she turned to face her Scouts.

They were looking around and at her in confusion, but it looked like they hadn't spotted him which she was glad for. She didn't want his presence revealed until it was time.

"Sailor Scouts." She said, being sure to gain their full attention, as she looked at them seriously.

"You were all identified as scouts by the planetary symbol on your forehead. I was not. I know for a fact that when I met Luna there was no crescent moon on my forehead like there was with you. Just like I know for a fact that there were only four guardian scouts to the princess." She stated clearly.

The girls gasped in surprise at her words, and looked at each other as they wondered if that was really true. Had there only been four of them in the past? If so, then which one of them did not belong?

"I know all this for a fact because I remember the past, my past, very clearly. Have remembered it for quite some time now; well before Luna made an appearance speaking to me about being a guardian scout." She continued.

"I also didn't receive a summons as Venus did. I simply allowed her to assume such and believe it when we met up last night." She added.

Venus' eyes widened and Mercury gasped, both of them quickly putting the pieces together and finding themselves shocked at their conclusion.

"Are you saying what I think are?" Mercury asked in a surprised hushed tone, and watched as she nodded.

"I am." She said seriously before she looked to Venus. "It appears you've figured it out as well." She noted, and watched the orange scout nod slowly; words failing her at the moment.

"I said I would lead you to the princess this evening, that you would meet her, and I have kept my word." Sailor Moon said as she looked to them all.

"Are you saying you're the princess, the Moon Princess, we've been looking for?" Jupiter blurted out, eyes wide.

"That's exactly what I'm saying." She replied.

She silently released her transformation in brief pink light leaving her standing in her casual clothes. Before anyone could say anything she began to glow a soft white that quickly surrounded and enveloped her as it brightened.

The light flashed brightly and the Scouts blinked rapidly as it cleared, and gasped in shock and surprise at what they were seeing. Their fellow scout, their friend, was standing there in front of them clothed in a sleeveless strapless floor length white dress that looked like it was made of silk.

An elaborate bodice with white pearls decorating it hugged her chest and decorative cuffs hung snugly to her upper arms looking as if they could be attached to the bodice and blend in perfectly, and on her lower back was a large nearly transparent bow.

A delicate looking bracelet of white pearls hung around her wrist, and three earrings sat in each ear- two white pearls and a dangling gold swirl. Her hair was the same style as always but it was now decorated with triple pearl barrettes just behind her bangs, and _there_ in the middle of her forehead framed between her parted bangs was a golden crescent moon.

They could hardly think for the surprise. But there was no denying it. _Here_ was the Moon Princess. She had been right in front of them all this time. They hadn't had to find her; she had found them, and in Venus' case she had summoned her.

"You can come out now!" Serena suddenly called out.

The Scouts blinked in confusion wondering who she was talking to, but jumped slightly when a dark figure suddenly dropped down from the treetops and landed on the ground behind Serena, behind their princess, in a crouch.

When the figure stood up they could clearly see, much to their surprise, that it was Tuxedo Mask. What was he doing here? How did he know they were here? How did Serena know he was here?

"It is time you know who he is as well." Serena said without looking behind her.

The Scouts looked at each other with wide eyes. She knew Tuxedo Mask's identity? She knew all along?!

The masked man began to glow with a gold light, his body disappearing in the light, before it flashed and cleared away.

When they could see again they saw that the tuxedo and mask were gone and in their place was a navy blue uniform, knee high armored black boots, shiny silver armor, an actual _real_ sword, and a long floor length black and red cape.

"Darien!?" Mercury and Mars said in unison; completely shocked.

"Who is that?" Jupiter asked in confusion while Venus looked on curiously.

"He's Serena's boyfriend." Mercury answered.

"I am the prince of the Earth." Darien added calmly.

He was unsurprised that they had recognized him. He'd allowed the glamour surrounding him to be weak so his present day identity could be seen in his royal form since he knew they wouldn't be able to tell otherwise since they didn't see him transform into Tuxedo Mask.

"I know you have questions for the both of us." Serena said as she grasped her prince's hand. "I believe we should go somewhere more comfortable where we can talk freely."

"We can go back to my place since I live alone. There won't be any chance of anyone overhearing or interrupting us." Jupiter suggested.

"Very well." Serena said with a nod. "That is fine with me if no one else minds."

Everyone shook their heads that they had no problem.

Serena and Darien then released their transformation. Her returning to her casual clothes and he back to his tuxedo. She transformed quickly back into Sailor Moon, and they all headed out of the park and toward Jupiter's home.

 **~~uUuUu~~**

The group of secret fighters stepped into Lita's apartment and settled down in the living room area.

Darien, with his arm around his princess' shoulders, Serena, and Mina occupied the couch, Amy sat on the floor across from the three in front of the coffee table, and Lita and Raye stood behind her leaning against the wall.

"Shouldn't Luna be here?" Amy asked.

"And Artemis?" Mina added.

"No. I don't want to wait for them, and considering what's been going on between me and Luna I don't care to tell the cat myself. She doesn't deserve it with her attitude toward me." Serena said firmly. "Plus, the next time I speak to Luna I'll be dealing with her and it isn't going to be pretty."

"One of you can inform her about everything that happened today, and Mina can inform Artemis." She said, but paused thoughtfully. "If none of you want to tell Luna then perhaps Artemis will be willing to perform that task once he knows." She added.

"I'll tell him." Mina said. "I'm sure he'll have no problem informing Luna since he wants to talk to her anyway."

There was silence in the room after that was decided that stretched on for a few long moments.

"You've known all this time that you were the Moon Princess." Amy said as she looked to Serena. "Why didn't you say anything?" She asked.

"I didn't say anything about being the princess because I had decided to use the opportunity when Luna came to me talking about being a scout to my advantage." Serena said as she looked around at them.

"I wanted to be able to protect myself and not have to rely on my Scouts if I didn't want or need to. I also didn't want you reacting to me and judging me just because I happened to be the princess you were looking for." She explained.

"On top of that I wanted to take the chance to see how you would treat me as just Serena and Sailor Moon. And I'm glad I made that decision since it's become clear that Luna isn't being objective when it came to me. She isn't willing to trust my instincts; isn't willing to trust me." She continued.

"Aside from that I knew how I wanted my Scouts to be, and I didn't want me being the princess to interfere in making you the best you could be." She finished.

"How long have you known you were the Earth Prince?" Mina asked Darien.

"Serena helped me remember on the night of her first fight." He answered.

"Do you remember all of your past as well?" She asked.

"I do." He replied.

"How come we weren't told about there being an Earth Prince?" Raye asked with a frown.

"It's likely because he wasn't remembered." Serena answered. "Remember I already established that Luna didn't remember anyone from the past, so her condemning Tuxedo Mask was a bad idea. I don't know if it's the same with Artemis though."

"It is." Mina said. "He doesn't remember anyone from the past either, and has no problem admitting it since it frustrates him."

"Are there any more scouts that need to be found?" Lita asked.

"There are actually a few more, but in terms of my guardians it's only the four of you." Serena said. "I don't know if I'll search for the others or if they will feel the need to seek me out on their own though."

"You're the Moon Princess, so why are you even a scout to begin with since you implied earlier that you weren't one in the past?" Amy asked. She was confused by that.

"You'll have to ask Luna about that since I already mentioned Luna finding me was strange." She answered. "Beyond that I don't care. I wanted to be a scout."

"In the past I couldn't be one since I was next in line to rule, and that would place me in more danger if it was discovered. Not to mention I had no thought or desire to be one at that time. The present is a different matter though. Now it's a good thing for me to be a scout and able to protect myself. Not to mention I can better relate to you and my prince." She explained to the group.

Everyone nodded in agreement. She may be a princess but they had all seen how she was in a fight, so there was no concern about her being some delicate flower that would wilt at the first sign of danger.

Plus, being a scout meant they could protect her easier, and her identity as the princess wouldn't be known. Who would suspect the Moon Princess of being a scout after all?

"What was it like living on the Moon?" Amy asked, finally getting the chance to ask the questions that had been on her mind since becoming a scout. "Did we have the same personalities and habits, do the same things we did in the past? We're scouts of different planets, so did we live on those planets or were we born there?" She asked in a rush.

"You were all born on your own planets and eventually came to live on the Moon when you officially became my guardians." Serena answered. "From what I'm seeing of you in this life you do have the same personalities and habits; although there are little differences considering you're living in a different time. We've all obviously grown up differently and society is different."

The girls nodded thoughtfully as they all wondered about what exactly they had been like in the past.

"Serena said you spoke of the silver crystal at your first fight." Amy said as she looked to Darien. "Were you actually looking for it, and if so then why?"

"I was looking for it because I knew instinctively that it would lead me to the princess whom I was looking for." He answered easily.

"No offense but how do we know you aren't after the silver crystal?" Raye asked.

Serena's expression darkened slightly, but Darien instantly placed his free hand on her leg to keep her calm.

"Because I don't need the silver crystal. I have my own crystal that's just as powerful." He stated firmly, and his princess nodded in agreement.

"His crystal wasn't really known, and while mine wasn't known by many it was still known." Serena added.

Raye nodded, accepting that. She just felt the question had to be asked.

"What about the rainbow crystals and the silver crystal?" Lita asked. "Luna said finding the rainbow crystals would get the silver crystal."

"There are no more rainbow crystals to collect because I already gathered them." Serena said. "Did so a couple of weeks after Raye was awakened as a scout in order to get my silver crystal."

Amy, Mina, Raye, and Lita looked at her in surprise.

"You truly have the silver crystal?" Mina asked, still surprised.

Serena didn't answer. She simply gestured with her hand to summon her wand, and watched it appear in her hand in an instant.

"This is the Crescent Moon Wand, the very same wand Luna tried to summon to give to Amy because as the leader it was supposed to go to her. And that shiny crystal is my silver crystal." She patiently explained.

"Oh wow." Raye said as she remembered back to that unforgettable memory. "That's why the wand wouldn't come when Luna tried to summon it; because you already had it."

Serena nodded as she put her wand away.

"How did you get it?" Amy asked curiously.

"It came to me the moment my crystal finished forming." Serena answered.

Everyone was quiet after that; Serena and Darien waiting to see if there would be more questions, and the girls thinking about what they had learned and seen in the last few minutes.

"I can't believe you're the princess!" Lita suddenly said as she looked to Serena. "I thought it would take time to find the princess; definitely more than the few days I've been a scout."

"Yeah." Raye agreed. "I had actually been picturing someone older; at least someone who was out of school. I remembered because I was wondering how we were going to deal with trying to protect a woman who may or may not remember her past as the princess, and would likely be wondering why she had to deal with teenagers." She explained.

"I can see how that would've been a problem." Serena said as she nodded. "Especially since in the past you all were four or five years older than me, so that problem had no chance of happening."

"Older." Mina said thoughtfully.

"Yeah. You were in my life for as long as I could remember, so you were obviously chosen as my guardians before I was born." Serena told them.

"I wish we could remember." Amy said wistfully. "Will we truly remember our past?"

"Me and Darien did, so I'm sure you all will as well." Serena said before she looked to Mina. "You need a communicator so you can contact us for Scout related business."

She gestured with her hand and out of nowhere fell a familiar pink calculator like object.

"It's easy enough to use." She said as she handed it to her.

"Thank you." Mina said as she accepted the communicator.

"I thought only Luna could produce those." Amy said.

"I have access as well." Serena said. "I only let Luna give you your transformation pens, communicators, and in Amy's case her minicomputer so I wouldn't reveal myself before I was ready. I no longer need her to produce such items."

With that done the group ordered pizza and spent the next two hours or so eating and talking, allowing them all time to further get to know Mina, and for Mina and Lita to get to know Darien, before they all began to head home.

 **~~uUuUu~~**

Zoycite frowned as he sat at his desk in his room reading over his notes for the dozenth time since he made them, and considering once again all he had learned.

He had witnessed the fight between the Sailor Scouts and Yasha, having watched it from one of the numerous windows inside a building, and had gotten a good read on all of them.

He had learned that the masked man was named Tuxedo Mask, and that he helped the Sailor Scouts but he was more like support on the sidelines. All he seemed to have going for him was roses that pierced.

The Sailor Scouts were powerful and good working in a team, as well as combining their attacks together, but he thought they might be vulnerable separately. And because of that he thought the only reason his fellow generals had been defeated was because the fighters had all been working together.

 _That's what I need to do_. He thought. _I need to split them up, and have a minion fight each scout_. He decided. _Tuxedo Mask is sure to interfere, so I'll take him on to stop that_.

 _All of them fighting by themselves should take care of them easily enough. There'll be no dying for me. With my plan I definitely won't end up like Neflite and Jedite, and all of the fighters, the Sailor Scouts and Tuxedo Mask, will die. The Negaverse, my Queen, will be able to proceed unhindered with her plans_. He thought confidently, and then let out a huff of a sigh.

 _Now I just have to figure out who exactly to send out to get things started, because now that I've decided on a plan there's no reason to wait_. He thought.

Zoycite stood up and put his notes down before he began to pace slowly around his room. He went over every minion he had access to, trying to decide which ones to use. He considered each one thoroughly, dismissed most as not being what he needed, and analyzed the last few remaining on his mental list.

He hummed thoughtfully under his breath and paused in his steps. After dismissing a few more he was left with three options that were technically one option.

 _The Plant Sisters_. He thought quietly.

Three sisters capable of fighting on their own, but also working together as a team if need be. That was definitely a good thing if the Sailor Scouts managed to stick together so they were able to use their teamwork.

"Plant Sisters! Come to me!" He called out to his empty room, and watched as they arrived in front of him all at the same time a few moments later.

"Grape. Housenka. Suzuran." He addressed each sister as he looked at the females. "I want you to eliminate the Sailor Scouts." He stated outright.

"Each of you are to fight a single scout once they show up." He ordered. "They have a masked man named Tuxedo Mask helping them, so you should watch out for him. I plan to join you, once you've confronted the Scouts, and fight the man, but I still want you to be aware of him just in case." He said as he looked to each of them.

"Until the Scouts show up you are to proceed with gathering energy, because we are always in need of such, and eliminating the Sailor Scouts should not stop that." He stated clearly, and watched the sister's nod obediently.

"As you wish." Grape said.

"Yes." Suzuran said.

"As you command." Housenka said.

Once each sister had replied they left, teleporting together just as they had arrived.

Zoycite blew out a breath. "Now I just have to wait for them to act." He told himself.

 **~~uUu~~**

A tall man with white hair just pass his shoulders stood paused leaning back against the wall next to an open door.

He had overheard a male voice calling out and listened in silence as the man inside gave commands to what was clearly his minions, and nodded slightly to himself when the females left and began to leave himself.

It seemed Zoycite had made his plans to confront the Sailor Scouts and the man he had reported was named Tuxedo Mask. He thought it was good that he had a plan, but he wondered if he would survive or end up like the others.

He still had mixed feelings about Jedite and Neflite's deaths. He was a bit indifferent since they were all competing against each other in a sense, but he was also angry since they were his comrades; his fellow generals.

What right did those scouts, those little girls, have to kill his comrades, and how did they do it?! Did those girls truly have the strength, the power, to defeat them? Perhaps the masked man, Tuxedo Mask, was actually the one to do it. He could possibly have the strength, but did he have the power?

He didn't know, but they must be doing something effective since Neflite and Jedite were dead. And because of that he wasn't sure Zoycite's chances were all that good.

Still, from what he overheard the man had a plan, and wasn't going in blind and unprepared.

Malachite shook his head and turned his mind away from Zoycite's task and toward his own. It had been a few weeks since he had been given the task to search for the rainbow crystals.

The fact that his Queen wanted them in order to find the silver crystal to become more powerful was a very strong clue that he shouldn't underestimate the Sailor Scouts or Tuxedo Mask. She wouldn't exaggerate about something like that. Not only would that be beneath her it would also make her look bad.

Still, he had gone out dressed to blend in to look for the rainbow crystals, but so far he wasn't having any luck in finding them.

He had spoken to his Queen about the crystals after Zoycite had relayed their Queen's orders, and learned that there were seven crystals of different colors which were the pieces of the silver crystal. It had apparently been split up to seal away seven of her greatest minions by Queen Serenity of the Moon, and could only be found inside the human reincarnations of those minions.

The fact that they were sealed inside people made his task extremely difficult since those seven people could be anyone, and that meant it could be seven of hundreds of thousands of people.

 _Hmm...do the Sailor Scouts know about these crystals? Are they also looking for them?_ He wondered. _Have they already found them?!_ He asked himself, but shook his head slightly in doubt since they would surely be having as hard a time as he was if they actually knew about the crystals.

 _The question is, how can I find them, and before the Sailor Scouts if they're looking for them too? Hmm...Tuxedo Mask as well. He might be searching too_. He wondered thoughtfully.

 _Perhaps I should observe the little girls and the masked man to see if simply seeing them in person can give me clues on if they know of the crystals_. He considered. _I need to get a look at them anyway since I'm very likely going to be facing them should Zoycite fail. It would be good to see and learn what they can do_.

Malachite nodded slightly to himself as he decided that when Zoycite acted he would act as well, and see what he could learn in the process.

 **~~uUuUu~~**

Mina idly ran a hand through her hair as she walked home. Her mind was still reeling from the evening's revelations.

She couldn't _believe_ that Sailor Moon, Serena, was the Moon Princess, and that her boyfriend was Tuxedo Mask; who also turned out to be the Earth Prince; the man her princess loved in the past.

She hadn't even _known_ there was an Earth Prince to be on the lookout for, which meant that Artemis didn't remember there was an Earth Prince let alone that he was connected to the princess.

She had in no way expected this when she believed Serena was leading them to the princess she had been trying to find for over a year. She thought she would just be meeting the princess, whoever she turned out to be, and getting to know her.

Serena possibly being the princess hadn't even crossed her mind; nor the possibility of finding out who Tuxedo Mask was.

 _I can't wait to tell Artemis. He's bound to be as shocked as I was, and especially about this business with Luna_. She thought as she shook her head.

Mina really wanted to meet Luna and see her behavior for herself, but she doubted that would happen before Serena got to her and handled her however she decided to.

 _Unless I arrange to meet her along with Artemis since Serena isn't likely to confront her until Luna's been made aware of who she truly is_. She considered.

 _I can meet her along with Artemis; Raye can introduce us since Luna's apparently still living with her after she finished evaluating each girl for the role of leadership. Then me and Raye can leave the cats alone and Artemis can make the reveal, and hopefully find out what in the world is going on with her_. She thought as she glanced around as she walked.

 _I'll suggest this to Artemis, and if he agrees then I'll call Raye and see when we can set it up_. She decided as she reached her front door.

Mina unlocked the door and stepped inside, closing the door behind her, and paused at the entrance to the living room to let her parents know she was home before heading up to her room.

She walked down the hallway and pushed the door open as she stepped into her room. She turned on the light and immediately spotted Artemis stretched out at the end of her bed asleep.

She closed the door before she went to sit on her bed, and gently stroked his soft warm fur. He instantly started purring and she was thankful her relationship with Artemis wasn't anything like what Serena had with Luna.

"Artemis. Artemis." She called, coaxing him out of his sleep. "I have so much to tell you."

Artemis lay there as he opened his eyes and blinked up at Mina as he enjoyed her gentle petting. Then he blinked again before his eyes widened as he remembered where she had been all this time.

"How did it go?" He asked as he sat up slightly. "Did you meet the princess? What's her name? What does she look like?"

"I did meet the princess." Mina answered as she smiled. "She's my age. She's beautiful with long blonde hair and blue eyes, and her name is Serena."

Artemis gasped and his eyes widened.

"Yeah." She said as she nodded at his reaction. "Sailor Moon is the Moon Princess. And you won't believe what else was revealed. Tuxedo Mask was there." She informed him.

Artemis' eyes widened again as he listened.

"He revealed his presence after Serena called out to him after she revealed herself as the princess. Turns out he's Serena's boyfriend, Darien Shields, and he's also the Earth Prince." Mina revealed.

"What?!" Artemis said in shock as he stood up in his surprise. "I didn't even know there was a prince to be looked for!"

"I figured that." She said with an understanding nod. "None of the others knew about a prince either so Luna also doesn't know."

"What's his connection to the princess?" He asked as he sat down, still shocked.

"They were in a secret relationship in the past that few knew about. We, the Scouts and you and Luna, were part of that few, but the populations of the earth and moon had no idea. Apparently they were very much in love and he died protecting her at the end." She explained.

"Wow." Artemis said.

"Yeah." Mina agreed. "Apparently Serena remembered her past before Luna found her and decided she was Sailor Moon. She said she went along with it because she wanted to be a scout this time around. She wanted to be able to protect herself and not be dependent on her guardians; plus she wanted to better relate to us, her Scouts I mean, and her prince."

"Darien knew he was the Earth Prince since the day Serena became Sailor Moon. She apparently helped him remember that night right after their first fight against the enemy." She informed him.

"She also already has the silver crystal." She added. "I saw it for myself when Serena showed us. She said she got it soon after Mars was awakened."

Artemis' eyes widened all over again.

They were quiet for a few long moments as Artemis let the revelations sink in.

"Why didn't Serena say she was the princess when Luna found her or at any time after that?" He asked.

"She said she wanted to use the opportunity to her advantage. She would become a scout and be able to keep herself safe, and keep her identity as the princess to herself so she wouldn't be judged by that identity." Mina answered.

"She also wanted to guide her Scouts to be the way she wanted us to be, and not have her being the princess interfere with what she was trying to do. Beyond that she wanted to see how everyone would treat her as just Serena and Sailor Moon." She elaborated. "Apparently we all did well except for Luna."

"I'm still shocked and surprised but I think this is all great." Artemis said as he tried to shake away his shock.

"The princess has been found, she's a scout and you're all the same age so she'll be easier to protect since you'll be around each other, she remembers her past so there will be no disbelief or denial to deal with, and she can protect herself so her safety will be that much more assured." He said as he nodded positively.

"Then there's the prince of the Earth. From the sounds of it he's close to the princess, so his remembering is a good thing as well. And being Tuxedo Mask is obviously an added safety measure for our princess. Also, his safety needs to be assured as well since he's clearly important to our princess." He said thoughtfully.

 _Why didn't I ask about Darien being protected or ask if he had guardians in the past?_ She wondered as she nodded at Artemis' words.

"I want to meet them." Artemis said as he looked to Mina. "When can that happen?"

"Well, Serena trains directly after school with Darien every week day, and after that they take martial arts classes three days a week and she takes a gymnastics class on the other two days." Mina told him.

"And on the weekends the Scouts train in the mornings." He continued for her.

"Yeah." She agreed as she nodded. "We do exercises and some running and stretching, we spar, and work with our powers; both individually and as a group." She explained.

"That's good. It's sure to make you a close team and the best you can be." He said approvingly.

"That's exactly what Serena wanted when she started the training sessions." She said. "The others train everyday as well on their own just like Serena does, so I'm definitely going to have to up my training schedule so I don't fall behind."

"But this all means the meeting will have to happen in the evening after Serena's classes or on the weekend after our training, and definitely has to be planned." She informed him.

Artemis nodded and sighed.

"Don't worry. Serena will surely make some time soon since she likely wants to meet you as well; especially since she remembers you." Mina said consolingly, and he nodded again.

"Okay, so Serena suggested you be the one to tell Luna about her being the princess." She stated. "No one else wanted to do it and I knew you wanted to speak to her anyway. Serena said she wouldn't do it because the next time she saw Luna she would be confronting her about her attitude and behavior."

"I don't think _that's_ going to end well; at least not for Luna." She quietly added.

"Oh!" Artemis said in quiet surprise; wondering what the princess would do to his counterpart. "I have no problem with that." He finally said, and she nodded.

"I thought of an idea while on my way home. If you agree then I was thinking we could meet up with Raye tomorrow, and she could bring us to her home so we can both meet Luna, and then you can have your conversation with her while me and Raye go elsewhere and do our homework or something." She told him.

"That's fine with me." He said as he nodded in agreement.

"Alright. I'll go call Raye and see about setting it up." Mina said before she stood up and left her room to head downstairs to the phone.

 **~~uUuUu~~**

Monday afternoon Serena, Amy, Lita, and Molly were laughing at a joke as they walked into the main building of their school. Lunch was only a few minutes from ending so they had decided to start heading to their class so they wouldn't be caught in the flow of students returning inside.

Amy smiled from where she walked behind Molly, but it slipped away when she suddenly heard her minicomputer going off in her subspace pocket.

She looked around as she blinked in surprise. It had crossed her mind at one time that an attack could happen while they were at school, but she had not thought it would actually happen!

What were they going to do? How were they going to get away from school? She had no doubt that they would be dealing with the consequences the next day, which she already wasn't happy about but there was nothing to be done about it.

"I'm going to go to the restroom really quick; I'll meet you at our classroom when I'm done." She said, addressing most of the group.

Serena looked over at her sharply, a question clear in her eyes, and Amy nodded.

"Alright." Serena said as she nodded in return. "We'll see you there."

Amy nodded and hurried down the hallway away from the staircase, and toward the bathroom hoping mightily that no one would be inside.

She pushed the door open and saw that there were some girls inside, and she held in a frown as she went straight to a stall and closed herself in. She pulled out her minicomputer, and opened it before it could make a sound, and began to click on the little keyboard to see where the attack was happening.

The first thing to stand out to her was that there was not one but three monsters attacking at the same time. They were all in the same area as well; at one location in fact.

 _That's something at least. We won't have to split up to deal with them_. She thought quietly. _I'm glad there are five of us now otherwise we likely would've been stuck fighting one of the monsters each with Tuxedo Mask helping where he could_.

Once Amy had the location she closed her computer and placed it away in her subspace pocket and left the stall. There were a few more girls in there now, but she ignored them and hurried out of the restroom and into the hallway.

Instead of the fairly empty hallway she had walked through when she went into the restroom she found a slight stream of her fellow students headed back to their classrooms.

Amy huffed at the delay but made her way through the people as quickly as she could along the hallway and up the stairs, and was surprised to see Lita standing at the top off to the side. Lita waved to her and she went over to her.

"There's an attack happening right now with three monsters." She informed her as soon as she reached the tall girl, and watched her nod.

"I'll go get my bag from my classroom and meet you and Serena in the courtyard where we had lunch." Lita said.

"Okay." Amy said before she turned and continued on toward her classroom.

She stepped into her class and immediately searched for Serena, and found her sitting at her desk. Unfortunately Molly was still with her, although she was currently talking to another girl. She shook her head slightly and made her way to them.

"So there's an attack; three monsters all in one location." She whispered in her princess' ear as she reached her side.

Serena's eyes widened as she turned her head and looked at her then she nodded.

"Go get your bag and head outside so we aren't seen leaving together. I'll make an excuse to tell Molly." She told her quietly.

Amy nodded and quickly moved to her desk to get her bag. While she did that Serena grabbed her duffle bag from beneath her seat and stood as she slung the strap over her shoulder. She grabbed her school bag from where it hung on her desk and leaned toward her best friend.

"I have to go; there's a monster attack." She whispered in her ear, and watched her turn and nod.

"Good luck, and be careful." Molly said quietly.

"I will." Serena said before she turned and hurried down the isle of seats and then out the door to see Amy standing off to the side.

"Lita's going to meet us in the courtyard." Amy reported, and she nodded.

"Once we get away you should contact Raye. I'll contact Mina." Serena told her.

Amy nodded and they hurried down the stairs, ignoring the students still moving through the hallway looking at them, and headed out the door. They quickly made their way to the courtyard to see Lita was already there.

"Let's go." Serena said as they grew closer to her. "We can talk once we're away from campus."

Lita nodded and joined them as they hurried over and off to the side where a low cement wall stood. There were tall trees providing natured decoration in front of them but there were gaps that the girls used to jump over the wall.

Once over Amy began to lead them away from the school in the direction of the attack. When they were away from the school and sure they couldn't be seen by anyone they stopped.

"Amy's going to contact Raye, and I'm going to contact Mina." Serena told Lita as she put her school bag in her subspace pocket. "Where are the monsters?" She directed at Amy as she put her duffle bag in her subspace pocket.

"At an outside ice skating rink on the edge of a somewhat popular park." Amy answered as she put her school bag in her subspace pocket. She quickly pulled out her minicomputer and got the exact location.

Serena nodded once she heard the address and pulled out her communicator and pressed the button for Venus and waited as she watched Amy do the same to contact Raye.

 _"Mina here."_ The secret orange scout answered moments later.

"There's an attack happening right now with three monsters." Serena informed her.

 _"Three?!"_ Mina said in surprise.

"Yeah; luckily they're all in one location." Serena said before she rattled off the location.

 _"Okay. I'm on my way; Mina out."_ She replied.

Serena put her communicator away as the connection ended and looked to Amy as she heard Raye answer, then looked to Lita to see she already had her transformation pen out. As soon as Amy finished speaking to Raye she took out her transformation pen and they all began to transform.

"Moon Prism Power." Serena said.

"Jupiter Power." Lita said.

"Mercury Power." Amy said.

Pink, blue, and green light filled the area and swirled around each of them before it cleared leaving Sailor Moon, Sailor Mercury, and Sailor Jupiter standing there.

They nodded to each other before they climbed up to the nearest rooftop and took off running. They leapt from rooftop to rooftop, on fire escapes, light poles, and anything else they could use to help propel them toward their destination.

The fighters were all far from their destination so it was not surprising when they spotted Venus heading toward them from a different direction.

They paused on a large roof to wait for her, and looked around to see if they could spot Mars or Tuxedo Mask. Surprisingly they could see both of them coming from behind them from two different directions.

"Is everyone ready?" Sailor Moon asked once all of them had arrived.

Everyone nodded so she turned and continued toward their destination with the others right behind her.

She couldn't help wondering if one of the remaining generals would show up. She knew that they didn't always show up, but she was hoping one would just so they could free him and be that much closer to having all of her prince's guardians with him. Then they could all turn their sights toward finishing off the Negaverse once and for all.

As they grew close to the ice skating rink they heard screams and yells, and Sailor Moon heard one of her scouts groan. She could understand the feeling. It took them how long to get there? Why were there still people around?!

Still, they continued to run and arrived moments later, stopping on a rooftop, and looked down on the scene.

The location was an outside ice skating rink, but judging by what they were seeing it looked like it had been changed into a roller skating rink. Right across from them on the side of the rink was a park that looked more like a neat and somewhat tidy forest.

Then their eyes skipped around, glancing over the scattering of downed people, and landed on what were obviously the monsters they were about to fight. They were female with large pointed ears with the lower half of their faces covered, and by the looks of them they had something to do with plants, flowers, and trees.

One monster had white skin with dark purple eyeshadow, purple hair with a red streak in it, and pink diamond shaped dangling earrings. She wore a long sleeve bodysuit that was a light yellow at the top before it transitioned into a dark green, and had enough material to stretch up her neck and cover her mouth and nose like a face mask.

Snaking over her right shoulder, down her stomach, behind her thigh, and down to cover her lower leg was what looked like a pink and red flower petal. In addition to that she had on arm guards and tall boots that looked like they were made of light green leaves.

The second monster also had white skin with light blue eyeshadow, short thick blonde hair, and large round purple stud earrings. She also wore a bodysuit, though sleeveless, that was lavender and stretched up her neck and covered her mouth and nose like a face mask. On top of the bodysuit was a dark purple one piece bikini.

Her right arm, knee, and parts of her chest and left arm were covered in dark brown roots like a tree, on her left shoulder was what looked like a bunch of green leaves, and on her feet were ankle boots of the same material.

The last monster had white skin like the others with lime green eyeshadow, long straight black hair with a blue tint, and white triple pearl dangling earrings. She had on a long sleeve bodysuit also with enough material to cover up her mouth and nose. It was light teal, and she had green seaweed covering her breasts, along her forearms, and wore it as tall boots.

Sailor Moon looked to the others and they looked at her and around to each other before they all silently nodded their readiness.

Tuxedo Mask and the Sailor Scouts jumped down to the ground and ran to the rink and put themselves in the path of the female monsters, which seemed to make them hesitant for some reason.

They formed a slightly loose line blocking the monsters from getting to the remaining people, and allowing said people to get away and help those who were down to get away.

There was no movement from either side before the monsters glanced to each other, and in the next moment movement was happening rapidly.

The purple monster lifted its arm with tree roots wrapped all around it, and thick thorns went extending toward the orange and green scouts.

Sailor Venus lifted her hand and used her _Crescent Beam_ attack to cut the approaching roots with her orange beam, and Sailor Jupiter threw her _Sparkling Wide Pressure_ attack at the monster. A crackling disk of lightning speeding toward it that it promptly leapt over.

Meanwhile the yellow monster lifted its hands and fired off several fireballs toward the blue and red scouts.

Sailor Mars quickly lifted her hands and fired off her _Mars Fire Ignite_ attack sending multiple fireballs to intercept the monsters fire attack. Sailor Mercury launched her _Shine Snow Illusion_ attack right afterward, sending ice and snow streaming at the monster who spun away to the side.

 **~~uUu~~**

Zoycite stood a few feet back in the tree line off to the side of the rink frowning in surprised dismay. There were clearly more scouts then there should have been. Two more scouts since the last time he had seen them fight.

Where had they come from; those orange and green scouts? How long had they been with the others?

 _They're moving and fighting well together_. He noted rather quickly. One stopping the attack while the other launched a counter before they were even done. It was as if they had always been fighting together.

He was not prepared for additional fighters. It would be the five Sailor Scouts against the three Plant Sisters while he was dealing with Tuxedo Mask, and that was if one or more of them didn't decide to help the masked man.

 _I'm going to have to separate Tuxedo Mask from the Scouts while they're distracted by the Sisters_. He decided before he nodded to himself and moved forward to confront them.

* * *

Tuxedo Mask glanced over to his right as he saw movement out of the corner of his eye, and did a double take as he spotted a young man standing on the waist high wall that separated the skating rink from the walking path.

He gasped sharply as he recognized Zoycite and realized one of his generals was there and didn't appear to be going anywhere.

Sailor Moon glanced over as she heard her prince gasp and before her eyes could reach him they spotted the man that must have caught his attention. She sucked in a surprised breath as she also recognized Zoycite. However, he looked like he was planning on staying, so she needed to alert the others.

"Venus!" She said sharply since she was standing next to her.

Sailor Venus pulled her eyes away from the purple monster that had attacked in her direction and looked over to her princess only to see her head turned and looking at something else. She followed her line of sight and made a surprised sound to see a man standing off to the side.

"Jupiter!" She called to grab her attention since she was next to her.

Sailor Jupiter looked over with a frown only for her eyes to widen at the sight of a man before she could even ask what Venus wanted. Judging by what he was wearing she guessed that he was one of the generals she had been told about.

"Mars." She called as she glanced back to the monster, and then returned her eyes to the general.

Sailor Mars looked away from the yellow monster to see what Jupiter wanted but saw that she along with Venus, their princess and Tuxedo Mask were looking off to the side. She followed their line of sight and gasped at the sight of a man dressed just as the general Jedite had been.

He was obviously another general, and since he had showed himself that likely meant they were going to have to fight him as well as the three monsters in front of them.

"Oh!" She suddenly heard Mercury's surprised voice, and realized she must have spotted him as well.

Sailor Mercury blinked her eyes wide as she instantly realized the man must be a general like Jedite since he was dressed the same as that man had been. She activated her goggles, taking the time the monsters appeared to be giving them with his appearance, and began to scan him as well as the monsters for weaknesses.

Zoycite leapt down to the floor of the rink and walked over to his minions.

"Now that I have your attention I can join your little party." He said as he stopped and stood beside his minions.

The Sailor Scouts and Tuxedo Mask kept an eye on the monsters but continued to keep him in their sights; taking him in since he was the first general seen since Jedite as far as some of them were concerned.

He was tall with long blonde hair pulled back into a low ponytail and had sharp green eyes. He wore a dark gray uniform with green trim, a thin black belt, white gloves, tall black boots, and small green stud earrings in his ears.

Sailor Moon glanced to the monsters and wondered how this was going to work. They had seen what two of the monsters could do but not the other one so that one was an unknown, but as far as the monsters were concerned _she_ was an unknown as well since she hadn't done anything yet.

 _I suppose I can take on the unknown one while the others fight the other two monsters. After all, they instantly paired up when the monsters attacked, and as far as I can tell their combined powers work best against the monster they faced_. She thought before her eyes shifted to the general.

 _Tuxedo can take on Zoycite for the time being, and then we'll only have to wait until circumstances are right for me to join him and capture the general_. She thought before she looked to her prince.

She caught Tuxedo Mask's eye as he looked over to her and she gestured with her eyes to the general, and he nodded subtly and pulled out a rose from thin air. She then turned her head and looked to Venus and caught her eye before she gestured with her eyes to the monster and mouthed 'attack'.

Venus nodded slightly in understanding and looked back to the general before turning her eyes to the monster across from her.

Tuxedo threw his rose at Zoycite without a word and ran toward him as he threw another rose. Zoycite dodged the flowers and jumped back from the approaching masked man and launched a green blast of energy at him, which he dodged by leaping to the side and onto the top of the rink wall.

 _Cosmic Starlight Illusion_. Sailor Moon thought as she brought up her hands and launched her attack. The beam of blue white energy stars that appeared shot forward, and slammed into the teal monster sending her flying back with a cry.

Venus lifted her hand, her finger already pointing at the monster, and instantly her _Crescent Beam_ attack fired off, the beam of orange light streaking through the air toward the purple monster.

Jupiter quickly fired off her _Supreme Thunder_ attack, the lightning bright and crackling before it moved forward and surrounded the orange beam as it headed for the monster.

The monster leapt high into the air to avoid the combined attack and actually stayed there.

"They can levitate at the least, and fly at the most!" Venus quickly called out.

The yellow monster backed up before it quickly jumped into the air just in time to avoid the ice and snow stream that had been streaking toward it. Then it quickly shifted to the side as it avoided a ball of fire from the red scout.

"They can maneuver in the air enough to avoid attacks!" Mercury called out.

As Mars fired off a series of fireballs Mercury looked at the data moving on the side of her goggles that were giving her predictions of the monsters movements.

She lifted her hands and aimed just to the right side of the monster and launched her _Shine Snow Illusion_. The cold attack streaked through the air and as the monster avoided another of Mars fireballs it was nailed by the cold attack. It cried out as her body was turned around with the force of the attack and fell to the ground.

Tuxedo tuned out the Scouts fights and focused solely on Zoycite and his immediate surroundings. He needed to not only keep the general's focus on him and away from their fights, but also get him away from the rink and out of the sight of the Scouts so he could be captured.

He ran back and forth on top of the rink wall dodging blasts of green energy while throwing his red roses at Zoycite. Then he ducked down in a crouch to avoid one of the energy blasts and leapt down the short distance to the rink floor and threw a handful of roses at the general.

A short distance away from the two men Sailor Moon ran forward as she watched the monster she had attacked tumble backward into a crouch and look at her before it raised its hands.

She lifted her own as she ran as they glowed with a white blue tinted light, and launched the focused version of her _Cosmic Starlight Illusion_ attack. Once again a beam of blue white energy stars raced from her hands toward the monster.

The monster narrowed her eyes and Sailor Moon paused, and watched as slightly bluish waves came out of its hands and collided with her attack. There was a ripple in the air before her beam of energy stars dissipated into nothing.

Sailor Moon narrowed her eyes as she wondered exactly what the monster had done to stop her attack.

Jupiter leaned to the side to avoid a sharp cluster of tree roots as they stretched pass her, and twisted as she brought her hand and arm down to break them so the threat was gone.

 _Venus Love-Me Chain_. Venus thought as she flung her hand toward the purple monster and sent her attack at it. The golden heart linked energy chain snapped out and hit the monster like a whip causing it to cry out and fall to the ground.

Jupiter quickly called on her power and rapidly launched her _Sparkling Wide Pressure_ attack at it; throwing the white lightning disks at it again and again.

The monster recovered quickly after being hit with Venus' chain, and managed to dodge the disks of lightning before it jumped back up into the air and shot its sharp roots down at the orange scout with an angry yell.

 _Mars Fire Ignite_! Mars thought sharply as she shot her attack at the monster as it struggled on the ground where it had fallen, but the monster rolled to the side causing her fireball to slam into the ground before it shifted into a crouch.

Mercury sent her _Shine Snow Illusion_ attack right after, hoping to once again hit the yellow monster, but it jumped up into the air avoiding the attack that froze the ground where it had stood.

The monster shouted as it fired off a series of fireballs down at them like hellish rain.

Mars and Mercury quickly dodged the balls of fire skipping away further as they splashed against the ground in a sense and spread their fire before going out.

 _Shine Snow Illusion_. Mercury fired off as she slid to a stop; her ice and frost streaming up at the monster, blasting through a couple of fireballs, but it shifted itself out of the way.

Mars frowned as she silently called on her fire bow and shot her _Mars Flame Sniper_ attack; aiming at each falling ball of fire to prevent them from hitting them. All the while Mercury continued to attack with her small snow storm to try and shoot the monster out of the sky.

As Zoycite was dodging his roses Tuxedo pulled out another rose but this time he surrounded it in the gold light of his crystal, causing it to float up above his hand, before he launched it at the general.

 _Infinite Rose Beam_. He thought, and watched as the glowing rose instantly shifted into a beam of multiple red gold energy blossoms and streaked toward the man across from him.

Zoycite looked toward the oncoming attack after he finished dodging the last rose, and his eyes widened in surprise before he jumped high, barely getting out of the way of the attack, and flipped forward over the masked man and landed on the rink wall.

He turned around only to drop back onto the walking path in a crouch to avoid the roses suddenly headed his way then he stood back up, a blast of energy already leaving his hands at the same time. He then moved back to give himself some distance and then launched yet another energy blast.

 **~~uUu~~**

Malachite stood tall on the roof of a building near the skating rink where the fight between Zoycite, the Plant Sisters, the Sailor Scouts, and Tuxedo Mask was taking place.

He had subtly followed Zoycite to the area and taken his position on top of that building after the Sailor Scouts and Tuxedo Mask arrived so he wouldn't be seen or noticed by either side.

Like his fellow general he too had been surprised that there were two more scouts then there had been the last he heard. The orange and green females since he had heard the other scouts described as wearing blue, red, and a mixture of the two.

 _Sailor Moon, Sailor Mars, and Sailor Mercury, and from what I heard at Zoycite's appearance the orange one is Sailor Venus and the green one is Sailor Jupiter_. He told himself as he watched.

He'd been unable to help questioning how long those new scouts had been with the others. They had to have arrived after the last minion Zoycite sent out since he had been just as surprised to see them as he was.

 _Unless the new scouts deliberately stayed out of the last fight to make us think there were less of them_. He considered, but doubted that otherwise why reveal themselves at the next fight instead of holding back longer?

Malachite watched intensely, taking in as much as he could, as his eyes flickered around to the various fights taking place in that one area to learn what he could of the fighters.

He could admit that the Scouts weren't exactly little girls. They looked like grown women; strong serious ones despite their skimpy outfits.

He also noted rather quickly that they all fought well together, as a group _and_ in pairs; even the masked man worked well with them, which made him wonder if they, the Scouts and Tuxedo Mask, could possibly know each other.

He had wondered if the Scouts were strong enough to defeat his fellow generals, and while he was still unsure if they were he was seeing that they had powerful abilities to aid them. Some of the scouts had two attacks while others only had one; or at least that was all they were showing during this particular fight.

And Tuxedo Mask appeared to only have flowers as a weapon, red roses to be exact, but then he watched as the masked man launched a red and gold energy attack that he could tell surprised Zoycite.

That let him know that he had likely not used that attack before or at least not since before Zoycite took over Neflite's position.

 _I can see how my fellow generals could have had a difficult time fighting against these abilities, but I still can't see how they were defeated_. _Especially since there was only the three scouts and Tuxedo Mask when each man was defeated_. Malachite supposed a bit skeptically.

 _And I cannot believe they were stupid enough to face them alone, so there must have been minions around to aid them_. He considered, but that unfortunately meant he still was unsure if it was Tuxedo Mask or the Scouts that killed the generals.

Watching the fighting as he was also let him know that he wouldn't be able to tell just by watching them fight if they had any rainbow crystals.

 _In that case continuing to watch is pointless and will do me no good_. He decided.

He was satisfied that Zoycite would be alright. The Scouts were busy and Tuxedo Mask didn't appear to be stronger than Zoycite even with his energy attack, so he wasn't worried about his potential death anymore.

With his decision made Malachite turned and walked a few steps before an oval black hole opened up in front of him, and he disappeared through it as it closed behind him.

 **~~uUu~~**

Sailor Moon considered what she had available to fight the teal monster as she stared at the female. She had her tiara and its variations, and the two versions of her Cosmic Starlight Illusion attack.

The problem was she had no idea what the monster had done to dissipate her attack earlier. Could the same be done with anything else she used? Could it only be done if the monster directed it at the attack?

 _I'll try the other version of my attack to test how the monster reacts_. She decided as she lifted her hands, and watched as they began to glow with white blue tinted light.

 _Cosmic Starlight Illusion_. She silently launched her attack, and watched as the same colored marble sized energy stars shot toward the monster from different angles.

The teal monster lifted its hands as it looked before once again slightly bluish waves came out of her hands directed at the energy stars in front of it, obviously ignoring the energy stars coming from different angles.

Just as before the waves collided with her attack and ripples moved through the air before the stars dissipated into nothing. However, the remaining energy stars slammed into the monster from its sides and back causing it to scream in pain.

Sailor Moon nodded to herself and lifted her hands as she prepared to attack again, and see if the monster had any speed to it or if it would take flight like the other two monsters had.

Tuxedo Mask ducked and dodged out of the way of the green blasts of energy Zoycite sent his way and threw a handful of roses at him as he ran forward. He leapt over the rink wall and ducked under a hasty blast of green energy before he got back to his feet as he quickly pulled out a rose.

 _Infinite Rose Beam._ He thought as gold light instantly surrounded the flower before it shifted into a beam of multiple red gold energy blossoms and streaked forward.

Zoycite lifted his hand and shot a blast of energy directly at the attack coming at him before he turned and ran back into the trees.

An explosion erupted as soon as the attacks collided and Tuxedo Mask lifted his arm to protect his face. When the heat and light were gone he immediately looked for Zoycite and saw him off in the trees. He dashed forward after him, determined not to lose him and let him get away or let him launch a surprise attack.

 _Cosmic Starlight Illusion._ Sailor Moon launched her attack at the monster she faced, her energy stars flying into the air before streaking toward the teal monster from all around it, before she looked worriedly in the direction Tuxedo and Zoycite disappeared in.

 _Now that they've separated from the others I need to join in that fight to make sure Zoycite doesn't get away or head back here toward the others, but I'm still dealing with this teal monster_. She thought with a frown.

"Sailor Moon!" She suddenly heard Mars call, and she looked over to see her standing not far from her glancing from her to the yellow monster she was facing and back to her.

"Go help him. Make sure that general doesn't get away! We can handle these monsters." Mars told her and she nodded.

"The teal monster uses some kind of ability that can dissipate an attack, but can only seem to use it in one direction at a time." Sailor Moon told Mars as she came closer to her. "It isn't fast and hasn't taken flight like the others; though I think it can and just hasn't yet." She added.

"Okay. I'll take this one." Mars said as she nodded.

"Be careful." Sailor Moon told her before she took off in the direction of her prince and his general.

 _Mars Fire Ignite._ Mars launched her attack before her princess had even disappeared into the trees, and watched as her fireball sped toward the monster.

The monster lifted its hands and she watched as slightly bluish waves came out of her hands and as the attacks came together ripples moved through the air before the fireball was reduced to nothing.

She didn't have an attack that could come at the monster from multiple angles, which meant she was going to need one of the others to help.

 _It's looking like that's how we're going to defeat the other two monsters as well_. She thought as she held in a sigh before deciding to get on with it.

She brought her hands up and quickly launched her _Mars Fire Ignite_ attack _._ The fireball streaked through the air toward the teal monster, and she quickly summoned her fire bow and aimed at the purple monster.

 _Mars Flame Sniper_. She called in her mind.

Jupiter launched her _Sparkling Wide Pressure_ attack, throwing her disk of lightning at the purple monster, but the monster dropped out of the air and to the ground to avoid the lightning attack.

 _Venus Love-Me Chain_. The orange scout flung her hand forward and her golden heart linked energy chain snapped out at the monster like a whip, but the monster leapt back into the air to avoid it and suddenly cried out in pain as it fell back to the ground.

Venus blinked at the fire arrow that nailed the monster she and Jupiter were facing, and looked over to Mars before shifting her gaze to the teal monster in quick understanding. She lifted her hand and aimed it at the monster as Mars shot her fire arrow at it.

 _Crescent Beam_. She fired off her orange beam, and watched it cut through the air toward the monster and struck it in its side just as it was countering Mars' attack.

Mars quickly launched another arrow at the monster as it cried out in pain from the unexpected attack. Jupiter, seeing what was happening, quickly launched her _Supreme Thunder_ attack to join Mars' arrow. The lightning came up behind the flaming arrow before it circled and crackled around it, and together they sped toward the monster and slammed into it.

Fire burst around the teal monsters chest as lightning crackled all over its body causing it to scream in pain before it stopped and crumbled to the ground. Its skin began to lose its color until it was an ashy gray, and its body slowly crumbled into dust.

"Suzuran!" The other monsters yelled as they saw it die before they began to attack the scouts closest to them.

Fireballs rained down furiously on Mercury but she nimbly dodged each and every one of them as her goggles predicted their descending path. As she dodged she gradually moved off to the side, causing the monster to turn its back on her fellow scouts, and lifted her arms in preparation to attack.

Suddenly the monster cried out as it was struck by Jupiter's lightning disk and fell a few feet before catching itself, but Mercury was already attacking with her _Shine Snow Illusion_ attack. A thick stream of blazing snow slammed into the monster, shooting it back and out of the air.

With that all four remaining scouts quickly turned their attention to the purple monster standing on the rink floor, its arm raised as it looked around at each of them.

 _Supreme Thunder_. Jupiter launched her attack sending crackling lightning streaking toward the monster.

 _Mars Fire Ignite_. Mars shot off her attack launching a fireball to join the lightning.

The purple monster quickly jumped back before jumping up high into the air to avoid the two attacks.

Mercury frowned slightly and launched her Mercury Bubbles up at the monster. The bubbles quickly shifted and merged into a thick fog around the monster.

"Venus it's right in your line!" She called to her fellow scout.

Venus nodded and lifted her hand and shot her _Crescent Beam_ attack up at it. The orange light beam streaked through the air and disappeared into the fog.

In the next moment they all heard a scream and watched as the monster fell out of the fog and toward the ground, but it stopped itself just before it hit the ground. Then it yelled and lifted its arms and shot its sharp roots at Venus who dodged them easily and fired off her _Crescent Beam_ attack again.

Mercury's goggles signaled movement off to her side as she was getting rid of her fog and she turned and immediately launched her _Shine Snow Illusion_ attack.

The yellow monster spun away from the streamed snow storm, and immediately launched fireball after fireball at Mercury.

The purple monster dodged the orange beam of light and quickly raced toward the trees, deciding it needed more cover as it leapt over the rink wall.

Jupiter threw her _Sparkling Wide Pressure_ attack at it, but the lightning disk missed and slammed into a tree. Mars fired off her _Mars Flame Sniper_ attack as she ran with Jupiter sending a flaming arrow at the monster that missed as it jumped into a tree.

Venus turned her attention to the yellow monster Mercury was facing, trusting Jupiter and Mars to handle the other one, and shot her _Crescent Beam_ at it.

The monster leapt up into the air to avoid the beam and began launching fireballs down at the two scouts who avoided them as they made sure to remain separated so the monster had to split its attention between them.

Mercury fired off her _Shine Snow Illusion_ attack in a continuous stream, following the monster as it moved through the air to avoid her snow attack, and Venus launched her _Venus Love-Me Chain_ at it but it managed to avoid the whipping chain even as it avoided Mercury's attack.

Mercury frowned in frustration at the monster. It was clearly good at evading their attacks. They would either have to come up with something that hadn't been tried yet or it was going to take more of them to defeat the monster.

 _Shine Snow Illusion_. She launched her attack once again, hoping it would hit the monster and injure it enough for them to finish it.

Venus watched Mercury attack as she dodged a fireball, and decided to try and combine her chain with her attack and see if that caught the monster off guard enough to hit it.

She sent her _Venus Love-Me Chain_ waving through the air toward Mercury's stream of snow and willed it to surround and join the attack. Both scouts watched as the gold heart linked chain circled the stream of snow and both attacks together speed toward the monster.

The monster dodged away quickly, but not quick enough to avoid being hit in the arm. It cried out in pain, turning slightly from the force of the hit to its arm, and moved back to the ground; too distracted by its pain to remain in the air.

Meanwhile, just inside the park Mars was running and glanced up to see where the monster was and breathed in a sharp breath as she saw sharp roots streaking right toward her head. She ducked down to avoid them, which turned out to be more like a dive, and grimaced as she slid along the grass.

Jupiter stopped as she glanced back and saw Mars' predicament, and quickly summoned her lightning and threw her _Sparkling Wide Pressure_ attack at the monster.

Mars got up as she looked up for the monster and saw Jupiter's lightning disk speed toward the monster but miss as it jumped up into the branches of another tree and began to run.

She jumped into a tree herself and began to run after the monster as Jupiter followed from the ground; idly noticing that instead of moving deeper into the park they were moving along the edge alongside the skating rink.

She paused on a branch and summoned her fire bow, and aimed before quickly firing off a flaming arrow at the monsters back.

Mars watched as her arrow flew straight but the monster jumped to another branch, its body moving higher in the process, and the arrow landed in the back of its leg ringing a pained scream from it. Then she summoned her fire and launched her _Mars Fire Ignite_ attack, and sent a fireball flying at its back.

Jupiter quickly launched her _Sparkling Wide Pressure_ attack, aiming for the injured leg to further damage it to keep the monster from running away. The disk of lightning slammed into its leg at the same time the ball of fire slammed into its back, and the monster screamed louder as it fell from the tree it had been in.

Before it had even hit the ground Mars and Jupiter were attacking it as they moved closer. Fireballs and lightning disks were launched and thrown, speeding through the air and hitting the monster before and after it hit the ground as it cried out in pain the entire time.

The two scouts looked to each other and nodded in silent agreement before focusing back on the monster.

Mars summoned her bow of fire and launched her _Mars Flame Sniper_ attack, and Jupiter called on her lightning and launched her _Supreme Thunder_ attack. Both attacks were at the highest intensity the scouts could make them, and they streaked forward combining midflight so the lightning crackled around the flaming arrow.

The combined attack slammed into the purple monster before it could make a move, and screamed a high pitched scream as it was electrocuted and burned.

As Jupiter and Mars moved closer to the monster its screaming suddenly cut off and its body began to lose its color, the purple and brown shades turning a dreary gray, before it began to slowly crumble into a pile of dust.

They stopped and stood there staring down at the dust of the remains of the monster until they disappeared then Jupiter looked off into the trees.

"Should we go find Sailor Moon and help her?" She asked as she tried to see any sign of the direction she had gone in.

"No. She has experience fighting a general like that man, and she has Tuxedo Mask to help her. Plus, he also has the same experience." Mars answered. "She'll be fine for now; what we need to do is get back to the others, and make sure that monster is taken care of since it was good at avoiding the attacks when I was fighting it."

"If she isn't back after the monster is defeated then we can go look for her." She added.

Jupiter nodded and the two of them hurried back to the skating rink.

 **~~uUu~~**

Sailor Moon ran in the direction she had seen her prince head with his general as she jumped over bushes and swerved around trees. As fast as she was running it only took a couple of minutes before she heard the sound of a yell and then a groan; thankfully neither sound was in her prince's voice.

She passed over a bush and around a rather tall thick tree to ironically find a miniature roller skating rink that was obviously for little kids in her line of sight.

She slowed until she was moving at an easy walk and let her eyes look around at what she had to work with in the coming fight. The skating floor was made of smooth cement, and had a black bar barrier around it that was obviously for children to hold on to so they didn't fall.

She moved her eyes to the two men fighting in the middle of the rink. Her prince and Zoycite were engaged in an up close physical fight at the moment, and she began to move around the rink toward Zoycite's back so she could join in and help her prince.

Quietly she slipped over the barrier bar and began to make her way toward Zoycite trusting her prince not to give away her presence.

Tuxedo Mask blocked a side kick with his arm that instantly shifted into a front kick which he also blocked before he backed up a step.

He saw his princess approaching from his front peripheral vision but he ignored her so he wouldn't give away her position. Still, he made sure to keep Zoycite's back to her so she could join in the fight the way she obviously wanted to.

 _So far this fight is going well._ He thought as he kept his eyes on Zoycite.

He'd managed to get in one of his energy attacks up close on his general that burned his uniform top and judging by the sound of his yell it had gone beyond the cloth top to the skin beneath. Or at least the heat did.

His currently dark general tried to kick him in his other side and instead of blocking it he grabbed his ankle and pushed him backward toward his princess.

Sailor Moon set her feet and narrowed her eyes before she took a breath and kicked her foot out in front of her and connected with Zoycite's back.

Zoycite cried out in unexpected pain as he stumbled forward only to grunt in further pain as a heavy gloved fist slammed into his nose. He instantly felt a warm wet trickle and knew he was bleeding as he brought his hands up instinctively to cover his nose.

Sailor Moon dropped low and swung her leg out at Zoycite's, knocking his feet out from under him, and straightened as he fell to the ground.

Tuxedo Mask and Sailor Moon moved away near each other but with a good amount of space between them as they gazed down at Zoycite to see what he would do next.

Zoycite groaned at his aching back but rolled to his feet as quickly as he could and looked around, and blinked in surprise as he spotted Sailor Moon standing near the masked man across from him.

He had not expected her to join the fight between him and Tuxedo Mask. As his eyes shifted between his two opponents he now wondered if it was actually the two of them that defeated his fellow generals while the others took on the minions.

He took in their serious expressions, their eyes trained eerily on him without a hint of looking around, and realized his thought was right. Before when it had only been him and the masked man he hadn't looked at him with that expression of intensity.

Zoycite blinked and shifted his body slightly as he kept them both in his line of sight. He would not go down like Neflite and Jedite! He would not end here! His existence would not be taken by a female scout and a man in a suit and mask!

He began to launch green blasts of energy at them as rapidly as he could hoping to hit them, but more to help keep them at a distance while he continued to recover.

Tuxedo Mask and Sailor Moon dodged the energy blasts and yet made sure to move closer to the general instead of away as the man had likely wanted.

Sailor Moon rolled away from a blast and as she sat in a crouch she called on her power. _Cosmic Starlight Illusion_. Her hands lit up with blue white tinted light before energy stars of the same color flew from her hands and sped toward the general from different angles all around him.

Zoycite looked around quickly at the oncoming attack and lifted his hands. Fire of red orange flames sparked to life in his palms before spreading high into the air. He spun on his heels causing the fire to swirl around him in a circle, almost like a barrier, and intercept the oncoming attack until it was done.

After the attack stopped he stopped spinning and pushed his hands forward forcefully and spread the fire toward his opponents.

Sailor Moon was still crouched on the ground so she laid down flat to make sure she avoided the almost wall of flame coming toward her. After it passed she quickly got to her feet and ran toward Zoycite to engage him in a physical fight.

Tuxedo Mask opted to jump up high to avoid the flames and as he came back down he landed on the railing that stretched around the rink.

He stood there and watched as his princess exchanged blows with Zoycite and briefly fought down his urge to go to her and protect her. She was doing well; all her training had paid off and was continuing to pay off.

Still, he could tell that the fight with Zoycite would be just like Jedite's. It would be hard fought and they were all going to come away bloodied.

Jedite had, he now knew, fought as hard as he had because he had been on his last chance. He hadn't been bringing in the energy as Beryl had wanted, and if he had messed up again he was highly likely going to be killed.

So Jedite had been fighting for his life; especially since he obviously didn't know that they were trying to capture him and not kill him.

With Neflite he had fought fiercely but not as hard because he hadn't failed in Beryl's eyes. He had still been in the first days of his assignment, and he hadn't believed that he would be like Jedite.

Zoycite was a different story. He believed his fellow generals had been killed, and he likely thought that's what he and his princess were trying to do to him at that moment. With as hard as he was fighting they were likely going to have to wear him down and catch him off guard to capture him.

Tuxedo Mask narrowed his eyes, pushing most of his thoughts away, and leapt off the railing and ran toward the fighting pair.

Zoycite pressed his lips together as he blocked blow after blow from the scout of the Moon, but quickly parted them as he gratefully sucked in air. He had no idea she would be such a good fighter.

When he had sent Yasha out to fight he had seen no evidence of this skill in any of the fighters. It had all been foot work and energy attacks.

He kicked his foot out in front of him unexpectedly but she still managed to avoid it, so he shifted his stance on his one leg and kicked off to the side where she had moved and managed to send her stumbling to the side away from him.

Quickly he turned as he sensed movement to his other side and sidestepped a front kick before he struck out with his fist and thankfully landed a hit in the masked man's jaw, but the man merely grunted and swung a back hand at him, which he ducked under before he rolled to the side and back to his feet.

He glanced to Sailor Moon as she stepped toward him and looked back to the masked man he couldn't help thinking that he was turning out to be a good fighter as well. He reminded himself not to underestimate them next time he faced them if he couldn't defeat them today.

Sailor Moon glanced to her prince, who was watching the general, and once again ran at Zoycite and blocked a straight punch to her face. His other hand streaked toward her, but instead of going for her face his hand moved behind her head.

In the next moment she cried out in pain as she felt a sharp pull on one of her streams of hair. She snapped her mouth shut and narrowed her eyes in anger as she reacted instantly. She lifted her booted foot and stomped down on his own booted foot, and listened in satisfaction as he cried out in pain as his hand loosened on her hair.

"Do _not_ touch my hair!" She yelled at him as she rained a series of blows against him.

First she punched him hard in the stomach, which caused him to lean over with a cry. Then grabbed his head and kneed him in the face before she kicked him in the stomach away from her.

They watched the general fall to the ground but before they could approach him he unleashed his fire again which forced them back.

After he dodged the fire Tuxedo Mask pulled out a rose and launched his _Black Rose Cyclone_ , and watched as the flower's petals turned black and separated from the stem before they multiplied and twisted outward at a spin toward the general.

He frowned slightly as Zoycite managed to recover from his princess' assault in time to roll away from the attack and launch his green energy blasts at them.

Sailor Moon darted around as she dodged the green blasts when suddenly Zoycite appeared in front of her. His leg came up but she was still in motion and unable to avoid the kick headed for her face.

His booted foot slammed into her face and she cried out in pain as she felt her nose crunch at the impact. Then cried out again as she felt another kick to the side of her head that sent her stumbling off to the side.

She brought her hands to her face, her eyes streaming tears of pain, and when she pulled them away there was a smear of blood on her gloved palms.

 _This has to end_. She thought as she looked toward her prince in time to wince in sympathy as he was nailed in the mouth with Zoycite's fist.

She got to her feet, having dropped to her knees in her pain, and saw blood coming from her prince's mouth. This definitely needed to stop before they were all hurt more than they were at the moment.

Her face was killing her and from that pain, as well as the crunch she heard earlier, she knew her nose was broken. She was also pretty sure from the pain in her knee and the sound Zoycite had made that _his_ nose was broken as well.

She didn't want to wait any longer to try and put her tiara to use, so she forced herself not to think of her pain and quietly moved toward Zoycite's back as he traded blows with her prince.

Zoycite managed to kick Tuxedo Mask away from him, so hard that he stumbled and fell on his back, but blinked in surprise as he heard a feminine voice behind him.

"Sorry about this Zoycite." She said, and he spun around, wondering how in the world she knew his name, but screamed unexpectedly before he could speak.

Sailor Moon grimaced in apology but it didn't stop her from kicking her leg up between his legs as soon as he turned around. She watched him grab himself as he uncontrollably dropped to his knees as he screamed.

She took a breath and called her power to the surface, watching her hands glow white, as she stood in front of the general.

Tuxedo Mask winced in sympathy as he got back to his feet, but he quickly moved toward Zoycite as he watched his princess' hands and eyes glow white with her power. He grabbed Zoycite's arms and pulled them back behind his back and held on with a bruising grip.

Zoycite looked up, being pulled out of his pain induced haze, and saw Sailor Moon standing in front of him with her hands and eyes glowing white. He blinked in shock and struggled as he vaguely wondered about the power she was displaying. He knew she hadn't shown that before, and he didn't want it touching him; sure that it would be his end.

Sailor Moon placed her hands gently on the sides of his head and concentrated on wanting him to sleep until she woke him up. The white light of her power sank through his skin and he slowly stopped moving, and his eyes closed as he went completely limp in Tuxedo's grip.

Tuxedo Mask released Zoycite's arms before he shifted him a bit and lifted him into his arms then looked to his princess.

"Are you coming?" He asked.

"I want to make sure the other monsters have been taken care of first, and to let the girls know that Zoycite's been dealt with." Sailor Moon said as she released her power. "I'll come to your place as soon as I send my Scouts on their way."

Tuxedo Mask nodded as he called on his power.

"I'll see you there." He said.

Sailor Moon nodded and stepped back and watched him disappear in a brief flash of gold light.

 **~~uUuUu~~**

Tuxedo Mask appeared in his guest bedroom in a flash of gold light and promptly placed Zoycite's unconscious form on the bed with a huff. He adjusted his limbs and head to make him as comfortable as he could, so he wouldn't return to consciousness in pain.

He sighed slightly as he released his transformation and lifted his hand to look at his communicator ring before he pressed the red and blue gems.

 _"Jedite here your highness."_

 _"Neflite here your highness."_

Both men answered promptly, nearly the moment his finger left the gems.

"Are you both at home?" Darien asked as he loosened the red tie around his neck and grimaced at the pain in his mouth.

 _"I am."_ Jedite answered.

 _"I'm about to leave, but I'm still here."_ Neflite answered.

 _"Aren't you supposed to be at school right now Endymion?"_ Jedite asked.

"Yeah, but we all had to ditch since there was an attack," Darien answered. "but we can talk about that later. I have Zoycite with me right now."

 _"Oh!"_ Neflite exclaimed in surprise as Jedite gasped.

"Yeah." Darien agreed. "Where are you going Neflite?" He asked.

 _"I was going job hunting, but it can wait. I don't have any interviews yet."_ Neflite said.

"Okay." Darien said as he began to head for the door to his apartment. "Both of you come to my apartment; the door will be unlocked."

 _"I'll be right there. Jedite out."_ He replied before ending the connection.

 _"Same here. Neflite out."_ He said before he too ended the call.

Darien touched the blue and red gems to end the connection on his end, and unlocked his door when he reached it before heading back to the protected room housing Zoycite.

He took off his navy blue blazer and undid the top button of his shirt to give himself a little more breathing room and tossed his blazer on the end of the bed.

 _Should I get started before my princess arrives or just wait?_ He wondered as he looked at his unconscious general.

He took a deep breath and moved to stand next to the window as he slowly let it out. He was so excited to have another of his generals so close to being freed, and as soon as he was then it would only be Malachite left to free.

 _How long will it take Malachite to show himself?_ He wondered thoughtfully. Would he appear at the next attack or would they have to deal with numerous monster attacks before he showed up?

He hoped the latter didn't happen. That would mean Neflite, Jedite, and now Zoycite would have to continue to stay out of the fighting, so the Scouts didn't see them and think they were still enemies.

That thought actually put his mind on a different path. Should he and his generals take care of fighting Malachite when he appeared? He supposed it would depend if he could get the man separated from the Scouts.

Zoycite had taken their fight away from the Scouts, which he had been glad for since he had begun to wonder how he and Serena were going to capture him without the girls knowing, but that didn't mean Malachite would do the same when he faced them.

It would also depend if the man decided to fight them all alone without any monsters. He doubted that would happen. He couldn't be that powerful to be confident enough to fight six people on his own.

Of course he didn't know there were more scouts now unless he had seen any of today's fight, and if he didn't then there was always the chance that he could send out monsters so he could find out how many there were and what they could do.

 _If Malachite does decide to use monsters then I can get the man alone and call my generals to me or, depending on the situation, maybe have them already hidden in the area_. He considered.

"Endymion!" He suddenly heard Jedite's voice call out from the hallway.

"In here!" Darien called back.

A moment later Jedite and Neflite walked through the door, and their eyes immediately went to Zoycite on the bed.

"Is he free yet?" Neflite asked.

"No. He's just unconscious; silver crystal induced unconsciousness." Darien said. "He won't be waking up until Serena wakes him."

Both guys nodded and finally looked to him and blinked in surprise.

"Zoycite must have put up a serious fight." Jedite commented as he stared at him.

Darien grimaced and nodded.

"He definitely did, but I'll deal with healing myself while I'm taking care of Zoycite." He said then glanced to Zoycite. "I'm waiting for my princess to arrive so we can start, but in the meantime I've been thinking and I've decided that when it's time to face Malachite it will just be the four of us." He added.

"This way Serena can stick with her Scouts and make sure they don't come see how my fight is going with him, and end up spotting us all. In addition to that we're going to have to make sure he doesn't get away and back to the Negaverse, so we're going to go into the fight full powered." He explained, and Neflite and Jedite nodded.

"I like the sound of that." Jedite said. "I think our presence will surprise him as well even if it's only briefly. We should still be able to take advantage of that and get in some hits."

"And after we have him we can bring him back here while you stay behind, and tell the Scouts he's been defeated. Since now that they know who you are you can't just leave from the scene without a word." Neflite said.

"True. That's a very good idea." Darien said as he nodded. Although he silently hoped that Serena had been able to think of something this time to explain why he left without saying anything.

"When you bring Malachite back here make sure it's to this room since the protection is only on this room." He said seriously, and they nodded in understanding.

"We'll bring him directly to this room." Jedite assured him.

 **~~uUu~~**

Sailor Moon turned away from the empty place where her prince had stood, and began to run back toward the transformed ice skating rink where her Scouts were.

She hoped no one was hurt, and thought it would be great if all the monsters had already been defeated. That would mean no more fighting for her and she could get to her prince so they could take care of Zoycite and she could get her nose healed.

She ran through the park quickly and once she reached the rink she looked around to see only one monster left, the yellow one, and Venus and Mercury fighting it. Mars and Jupiter were moving toward the fight as if they had only just arrived.

 _They must have fought the other monster and defeated it away from the rink and were only just now getting back like I am_. She thought as she watched them.

 _Mars Fire Ignite_. Sailor Mars thought as she paused her running and fired off an intense fireball. Sailor Jupiter continued to run as she launched her _Sparkling Wide Pressure_ attack, throwing her lightning disk at the monster.

Both attacks hit the monster one right after the other in the back causing it to scream in surprised pain.

Sailor Mercury looked over to see Jupiter and Mars headed their way, and saw that their princess was coming up behind them. They were all there now, all except Tuxedo Mask, and they could attack the monster together and hopefully defeat it quickly.

She decided to try something that had been floating through her mind. She had continued to practice with her bubble fog during training, and she had managed to come up with something that could make it more useful. She would concentrate her bubbles around the enemy's personal space instead of a wide area.

She took a breath and looked to the monster as she focused on her power.

 _Mercury Bubbles_. She thought, and concentrated on surrounding only the monster with her cool fog. The bubbles sped toward the monster, combining and shifting into a cold fog around it.

Sailor Venus understood the gist of what her fellow scout was doing without her having to even say a word, so she launched her _Venus Love-Me Chain_ and watched her heart linked chain whip toward the monster.

She concentrated on the little she could still see of the monster and willed her chain to wrap around it which it did.

Seeing that the monster wasn't going anywhere Mercury launched her _Shine Snow Illusion_ attack aiming for its legs. The mini snow storm streamed toward the monster and coated its legs in ice and frost, freezing the limbs as it struggled and yelled against its restraints.

"Attack! Attack!" Mercury yelled out to everyone as she cleared her fog, so they could see the monster.

Mars summoned her fire bow and launched her _Mars Flame Sniper_ attack, sending her flaming arrow toward the monster.

Mercury again launched her _Shine Snow Illusion_ attack sending her snow storm streaming at the monster.

Jupiter called on her lightning and quickly launched her _Supreme Thunder_ attack, sending crackling lightning at the monster from where she stood behind it.

Venus continued to hold the monster in place with her chain to keep it from attacking, but that didn't mean she couldn't attack. She just had to improvise a little. She tightened her grip on her chain, and focused her power through her chain.

 _Crescent Beam_. She said silently, and watched the orange light flow up along the chain until it reached the monster and sank into it.

The monster screamed loudly as the attacks hit it from every side, and Sailor Moon decided it was her turn now. She lifted her hands, already glowing with a white blue light, and fired off her attack.

 _Cosmic Starlight Illusion_. The energy stars flew from her hands up into the air in all directions before they came down at the monster from every angle to add to the continuing attacks of the others.

The monster screamed louder and louder, but the sound suddenly cut off leaving their ears ringing a bit in the silence. They watched as its body gradually turned gray before it began to crumble to pieces from the bottom up until it was a pebbly pile. Within moments said pile turned to dust before it faded away to nothing.

They all sighed in relief that the fight was finally over and there were no more monsters waiting to attack them. They then looked around at each other before they began to step toward each other, gathering together now that it was safe.

"What happened with the green eyed general?" Mars asked as she looked to Sailor Moon.

"He's been dealt with just like Jedite." She answered, and Mars nodded.

"Where's Tuxedo Mask?" Jupiter asked curiously.

"I sent him home since he was injured in the fight." Sailor Moon said.

Venus eyed her with a raised eyebrow. "You were clearly injured as well." She noted worriedly, and the disguised princess nodded.

"Mine is more serious than his, but I wanted to check in with you all before I was healed." Sailor Moon explained, and the Scouts nodded.

"Since we're done I'm going to go hangout with him since we can't go back to school. Plus, we still plan to work out and go to our classes so the two of us might as well stay together." She added.

The Scouts shrugged and nodded thinking that they all needed to figure out what they wanted to do since none of them could go back to school either.

"Well, make sure you get yourself healed up." Venus said.

"I definitely will cause I don't enjoy this pain." Sailor Moon assured her. "Enjoy the rest of your day you guys."

They nodded and watched as she stepped back away from them before disappearing in a brief white flash.

 **~~uUu~~**

Sailor Moon arrived in her prince's living room in a flash of white light, and looked around to see no one but heard voices coming from the hallway. She walked down the short hallway and paused in the doorway to the guest bedroom where Darien, Neflite, Jedite, and the unconscious Zoycite were.

"Why do you all look so serious?" She asked immediately. "Did something happen?" She asked as she looked to Zoycite to make sure he was fine, and saw nothing wrong.

"Nothing's wrong." Neflite said.

"Everything's fine love." Darien assured her. "We were just discussing what will happen when Malachite makes his appearance."

"I want it to just be us guys to take him on while you stay with your Scouts. You're going to need to keep them away from the fight, so the guys won't be seen. Plus, we're going to need to focus all our attention on Malachite to keep him from getting away." He explained, and she nodded.

"Oh okay. That's fine with me." She said as she relaxed. Then she released her transformation filling the doorway with pink light before it cleared to leave her in her school uniform and her nose still bloodied.

"Alright. Are you ready to get started?" She asked Darien as she stepped pass Jedite and Neflite who were at the end of the bed, and stopped at the side of the bed she had taken every time they freed a general.

"Absolutely." Darien said as he stepped away from the window and up to the other side of the bed.

He summoned his golden crystal and Serena summoned her Crescent Moon Wand which had her silver crystal attached, and they both closed their eyes to concentrate better. White and gold light filled the room as they began the now familiar task of freeing a general from the Negaverse.

Darien focused on visualizing the evil taint in Zoycite's body, the purple black energy, and the remembered feel of the evil energy before he guided his golden power into the man's body to begin removing it and healing him.

He moved his power throughout his entire body, paying attention to each arm and leg as well as his torso and head, to make sure the evil taint was gone from every section down to the last minuscule cell in his body.

Serena focused her attention first, as she had with Jedite and Neflite, on the connection between Zoycite and Beryl. As usual her crystal projected the dark chain wrapped around his body in her mind and she inspected it carefully.

It was the same size and density as it was with the others, and also had the same snug hold on him. It was also centered around his head as if that wrapping was the source for the chain links around his body.

She took a steadying breath and gently yet firmly guided her power to cut the chain here and there at places that looked like they might be weak or at least not as dense. The chain gradually began to fall away and once all of it had she began to bathe each piece with her power to purify it until it faded away completely, leaving no trace.

Once she finished she joined her power with her prince's in removing the evil taint and healing Zoycite's body. Just as it was with the other generals the taint was strongest around his mind indicating that he had been brainwashed as well.

Neflite and Jedite stood at the end of the bed quietly yet intensely watching the process that would free their fellow general, the same process that had obviously been used on them.

It was a peaceful experience to watch with their two powers on display filling the room right along with Zoycite's body with healing light. It was also an awesome sight to see his wounds slowly disappearing as if he had not been in a fierce fight, and to witness the control their prince and his princess had over their crystals to not let even a little of their power escape the room.

Already it had been ten minutes and they wondered how much longer it would be, but regardless of how much time passed they would continue to stand there and watch until the end. They were going to be there ready and waiting when Zoycite opened his eyes.

When the secret royal couple finished removing all of the evil taint from Zoycite and healing his body Serena slowly withdrew her crystals power, and opened her eyes to watch her prince continue on with the last aspect of freeing Zoycite.

As Darien sensed Serena's power leaving Zoycite's body he focused his attention on unlocking the generals past memories.

He needed the man to remember who he truly was, that he was General Zoycite; to remember his fellow generals, to remember he was his prince, and who Serenity was and her importance to his prince.

Thoughts focused on exactly what he wanted he let his crystal do the work of finding and unlocking Zoycite's memories. He watched as the golden power flowed and swirled around the man's head, and presumably in his mind, as it delved and searched for the suppressed memories.

After what seemed like minutes his power stopped flowing and swirling around Zoycite's head and he was sure that it meant that Zoycite's memories were free. He pulled his power out of the general's body and back toward himself before he put his crystal away and opened his eyes.

"He's ready." He said as he looked around at everyone.

Serena nodded and lifted her wand and pointed it at Zoycite. She focused on wanting him to wake up from the sleep she had put him in, and a white beam of light shot out of her crystal and gently struck him in the head. A few moments passed and the light stopped.

"Now we just have to wait." She said as she put her wand away.

The guys all nodded and Darien moved around the bed toward her to heal her since his own injury had been taken care of while he was healing Zoycite.

* * *

Eyelids cracked open letting in light before they closed and the person stretched slightly on the soft comfortable surface they were on. Eyelids blinked open fully, revealing green eyes, and took in the ceiling above him.

He closed his eyes lazily and wondered where he was and what was wrong with him.

He had only been awake moments but already he could tell that the quick knowledge of who he was was not coming to him as it should. Beyond that he did not recognize the ceiling he had glimpsed while his eyes were open.

At least he knew he was a male. He'd have even more serious problems if he thought he was a female. Not that there was anything wrong with being female, he just knew he wasn't one. Now if only he could remember who he was.

 _Think of your last memory_. He told himself as he held in a sigh. _What did you do, hear, and see_?

Instantly a fight scene drifted through his mind crisp and clear. There was a dark haired man with deep blue eyes wearing a full black tuxedo and white mask, a woman dressed in a white, red, and blue skimpy sailor outfit with extremely long golden blonde hair up in a unique style.

Daylight, tall trees, and a children's skating rink registered before it all came together with movement, sound, and feelings.

A fierce physical fight took place between the three of them with only the occasional use of powers. It was obvious that the man and woman were paired together against him, and he was brought down by surprise.

First he was surprised by her speaking to him and then by her surprise physical attack. He winced at the remembered pain, but focused on the fact that he had been held after that and the woman had touched him with her glowing hands and all had gone dark.

He frowned as he recalled that she had called him Zoycite, and then he held in a gasp as suddenly memories began to flood his mind at a rapid pace.

A dark society separate from the human world at large, working with but mostly in competition against three other men wearing a uniform like his, a dark queen with long red hair issuing orders and commands, ordering around creatures, and all for world domination.

Being told two of the three men were dead and that he was to take over where they had failed, making plans and observing the ones believed responsible for their deaths, three women dressed in skimpy scout outfits and a masked man: Tuxedo Mask, Sailor Moon, Sailor Mars, and Sailor Mercury.

Making plans to take them all out and gain favor with his queen and show he was the better general, and being surprised that there were additional scouts from the last time he had seen them. Sailor Venus and Sailor Jupiter.

 _The Sailor Scouts_. The name opened the door for more names. _Queen Beryl, Malachite, Jedite, and Neflite_.

He frowned unconsciously as those names seemingly triggered more memories, separate memories from the others.

A beautiful planet, a golden kingdom to rule over it, a large bright palace, a suite of personal rooms, meeting, training, and socializing with three men dressed as he was, and hours and hours of sword play and physical sparring.

Meeting a man with dark hair and deep blue eyes dressed in a uniform and armor, training with him day after day for hours on end, making oaths and pledging to serve and protect his prince and future king, and subtly following and watching over the dark haired man and a woman in all white with incredibly long hair up in a unique style.

More and more scenes and images flashed through his mind, faster and faster the more he understood, along with feelings, names, emotions, places, objects, people, and locations. On and on it went until he fully understood and recalled every detail of every memory.

He was Zoycite, guardian general, one of four generals charged with the protection of Endymion, Prince of the Earth.

He then groaned uncontrollably as he remembered that he had betrayed his prince not once but twice; even if both times he was unaware of it happening. He'd been brainwashed somehow in the past without even realizing it, and had been kidnapped from his life in the present and brainwashed again; this time before he could remember his past.

Zoycite opened his eyes and finally took in the fact that he was in a bedroom and he wasn't alone. There were four other people in the room; three guys and a woman.

To his surprise he recognized Jedite and Neflite instantly. He thought they were dead, killed by Tuxedo Mask and Sailor Moon, but then he obviously wasn't dead so it made sense that he was brought to them.

He looked away from where they stood at the end of the bed he was lying on and looked over to his left toward the last two people in the room.

Right away he could tell they were a couple. The guy was tall with dark black hair but had his back to him, and the girl was shorter than him with long golden blonde hair up in a unique style.

She blinked eyes as blue as the sky at him, and he realized he recognized her as well. She was Sailor Moon and Princess Serenity.

 _Which means_... He thought as his eyes shifted back to the guy just as he turned around to face him. Dark hair, deep blue eyes. He was looking at Tuxedo Mask, and his prince.

"Endymion; your highness." Zoycite said as he sat up, groaning at the fact that not only had he betrayed his prince in both his lifetimes, he had fought against him and Princess Serenity with the full intent to kill.

Why didn't he remember before now? Why not when he was fighting them, or better yet, before then?!

"Welcome back Zoycite." Darien said.

"How are you feeling?" Serena asked.

"I'm tired, confused, but more than that I feel lighter; free." Zoycite answered.

"Good." Darien said. "Your confusion should go away the more we talk, and your tiredness will eventually fade given enough time."

Zoycite nodded and relaxed as he folded his legs and sat up a little straighter.

"How am I here? How are they here as well?" He asked as he gestured toward Neflite and Jedite.

"They freed us." Neflite said as he gestured toward Serena and Darien.

"The first opportunity that came along we got each of you away from my Scouts, so we could capture you and go about freeing you." Serena added, and the newly freed general blinked in surprise.

"The Scouts don't know?" Zoycite asked.

"They don't, and it's something we're keeping secret until Malachite is with us." Darien answered.

"Only recently were all of my Scouts awakened and my guardians complete, and we informed the girls about the truth of us." Serena explained. "Before that revelation my Scouts didn't know I was the Moon Princess, and only knew him as Tuxedo Mask."

"For those who had met my civilian persona I was only known as her boyfriend." Darien added.

"Oh, so the Scouts now know that the two of you are Prince Endymion and Princess Serenity, but don't know at all about Neflite and Jedite; well besides the fact that they were generals for the Negaverse." Zoycite summarized, and Darien nodded.

"In Neflite's case they don't even know about him. They didn't see him before we freed him." He informed him.

"So it's just you and Jedite that the girls will recognize when they see you again, which is why you're being kept a secret until all four of you have been freed." Serena said, and he nodded.

"So only Neflite can be seen right now without worry." Zoycite said, and everyone nodded.

"It isn't an issue since we're all busy with training, school, or looking for jobs." Neflite said. "I've only been around one of the places they spend time at, because I'm currently seeing one of Serenity's friends."

"One of her friends; one of the Scouts." Zoycite said in surprise. He recalled there being some interest between him and Sailor Jupiter in the past, but then he watched him shake his head negatively.

"It's my best friend Molly." Serena informed him. "After Neflite was freed I told her my secret, _our_ secret," She added as she gestured to all of them. "so I wouldn't have to worry about losing her friendship over it. So she knew about him before they started dating."

"And my Scouts also don't know that she knows our secret." She added, and continued before he could ask anything more.

"I didn't tell them because I didn't want them trying to push Molly away or treat her any differently because she knew, and I wanted that knowledge distance between them so I could talk to Molly and get her unbiased point of view." She explained.

"Oh, well that makes sense." Zoycite said and then sighed. "Thank you both for freeing me." He said sincerely to the two royals. "I can't _believe_ I ended up with the Negaverse again!" He added in disgust.

"How did it happen; both times?" Serena asked, and he sighed.

"In the past I was brainwashed, clearly, but I'm unsure how it happened." Zoycite said. "I'd been speaking to Malachite one evening before I headed to bed, and then suddenly it was like a flip was switched in my mind."

"The Moon Kingdom was the enemy, they were trying to take over the Earth and her people, and Endymion was already under their control by way of his infatuation with the princess." He explained, grimacing apologetically at Serenity. "My orders were to take down the Moon Kingdom by any means before they could take over the Earth."

"The switch in my thoughts felt natural, and it made such sense that I never felt the need to question it. I'd been more focused on trying to keep the planet safe." He admitted before he shook his head.

"In the present I was taken from my life when I was sixteen. I lived with my father and little sister; my mother had passed on a few years before." Zoycite said. "I was asleep since it was the middle of the night when I woke to a loud crashing sound. I was out of my bed and on my feet instantly, then I rushed to my sister's room since she was only nine."

"On my way I came across some kind of creature and brained it with a baseball bat without a second thought before I rushed into my sister's room." He said as he remembered that night.

"I got her and we made our way to our father's room only to find him dead in his bed. Before we could even react to that horrifying sight we were snatched up by a creature each that was bigger and uglier than the one I had killed." He continued.

"Besides struggling I was unable to do anything but watch as my sister was killed in front of me and then I must have been struck on the head because I felt a sharp pain and the next time I was aware I was waking in an entirely different place." He explained.

"Beyond that there was no memory of what happened to me and my family, no memory of my family at all." He said with a shrug. "All that was there was that I had been in the dark society my whole life, had worked my way up the ranks to general, and that I was to serve my queen faithfully."

"Queen." Zoycite sneered as he shook his head. "That want-to-be-bitch! She may have been a sorceress in the past, probably still is one, but I know she doesn't have the power to alter my whole mind set like it was. There has to be someone or something in power above her that's aiding her."

"Do you remember Beryl from the past?" Darien asked.

"I do. She was entertainment and hung around the palace; more than I thought she should." He answered. "I understand she had some fascination, possible infatuation, with you, but it was decided that I would leave keeping a watch on her to Neflite and Jedite while I focused on chaperoning you two and keeping you safe." He explained as he looked from Endymion and Serenity and back again.

"I agree. There must be someone in power above Beryl. I don't remember seeing anything or anyone during my time in the Negaverse, but that doesn't mean there wasn't." Neflite said, and Darien and Serena nodded in agreement.

"There _is_ something powerful aiding Beryl." Darien said seriously. "She certainly wasn't the one to kill me in the past after all."

Neflite, Zoycite, and Jedite looked at him in slight surprise even as they watched Serenity nodding in clear agreement with his words.

"Who killed you then?" Jedite asked.

"A dark evil entity. When I saw it it was nothing but a massive black mass in the sky, so dark that it was blacker than the night sky, that Beryl called Metaria." Darien informed them.

"She or it, if you prefer, shot out a stream of powerful energy from her mouth aimed at me, but he stepped in front of me and took the blow." Serena said.

"So we're going to have to fight Beryl and this entity Metaria or possibly the both of them at the same time." Zoycite said as he frowned.

"Yes." Darien said seriously as he nodded.

They were all quiet after that and then Zoycite shook his head, as if to shake the negative thoughts away, and looked to Serenity.

"How did you become a scout since I clearly remember that you weren't one in the past?" He asked curiously.

"A feline advisor of my mother's named Luna began to look for the Scouts. She found me first and I guess Luna sensed my power inside me because she thought I was a scout." Serena briefly explained.

"I went along with it because I wanted to be a scout, because I wanted to be able to relate to my prince and my Scouts. I also wanted my Scouts to fight and behave a certain way, and could only assure that if I was one of them and took charge." She said.

Zoycite nodded understandingly, and then sighed as he looked around at everyone.

"After Neflite's supposed death Beryl had me take over the responsibility of gathering energy." He revealed. "She also had me and Malachite looking for the rainbow crystals because she wanted the silver crystal; though Malachite is currently focused on that task since I was determined to get rid of the Scouts and Tuxedo Mask and not end up like Jedite and Neflite."

"Anyway, she wanted more power because she believed the Scouts were more powerful with her belief that Jedite and Neflite had been killed, so her efforts are likely to increase with her belief that I've been killed." He explained. "Beryl also said that if the search for the rainbow crystals and the silver crystal lead to the Moon Princess she was to be captured." He added.

"That's interesting." Darien said as he looked to his princess, and watched her nod.

"My capture is something to be watchful of, but there's no reason to worry about Beryl or Malachite getting the rainbow crystals or the silver crystal." Serena said. "The rainbow crystals have been collected and my silver crystal is safe with me."

"Oh, well that's good. I guess we really don't need to worry then." Zoycite said.

"It's still good to know." Darien pointed out. "We now know we need to be more watchful until Malachite is freed since anything can happen before that, and though Beryl doesn't appear to know much we'll still be watchful of her until we can get rid of her."

Everyone nodded seriously in agreement.

"What's your present name?" Serena asked; wanting to change the subject and hopefully lead the conversation toward reinstating him as a guardian general for her prince.

"Hayden." Zoycite answered, relishing being able to remember the name his parents gave him. "What about your names?"

"I'm Serena." She replied.

"I'm Darien." The secret prince revealed.

"I'm Julius." Jedite said.

"I'm Maxwell." Neflite said.

"We all go by our present name when out in public or around people that don't know the truth about us, but are fine answering to both present and past names when speaking to each other when no one else is around." Darien informed him.

"Okay." Zoycite said as he nodded. "Now that I'm aware of everyone's name what are we going to do next?"

"Now I want to know if you still want to be one of my guardian generals." Darien said.

"Oh yeah; definitely." Zoycite said promptly.

"Then these are for you." Darien said before he gestured with his hand and produced two items from his subspace pocket. "The ring is for communicating with me and your fellow generals, and the bracelet is for transforming into the general that Beryl's evil taint never touched."

Zoycite nodded as he took the offered items and looked over each item as he listened to his prince explain how they worked.

The communication ring was thick and round and made of dark silver with four round evenly spaced gems in red, gold, blue, and gray on the front of the ring; each obviously representing the color of a general and their prince. One gem was framed by a triangle, one a circle, another in an x-shape, and the last a square; each shape indented into the silver.

The bracelet was masculine looking made of dark green braided leather, in a triple wrap braid, with a silver earth symbol- a circle with a cross inside, secured in the middle of the center braid.

He easily slipped the ring onto his middle left finger and the bracelet onto his right wrist, and watched as it shrunk to fit his wrist securely so he wouldn't have to worry about it slipping around or coming off.

He then shifted over to the side of the bed away from the royal couple and stood up and took a few steps before turning around to face everyone.

"Alright let's do this." Zoycite said, and lifted his wrist to look at the bracelet.

He focused on the past and who he used to be, who he remembered he was. He was general Zoycite. His prince had given him the means to be that again, and he wanted to prove to his prince that he was trustworthy and could be what he needed him to be.

His thoughts may be strange considering the modern time, but the time period hadn't changed his essentials. He was meant to fight and protect, and he had sworn to protect his prince. Just because he was born in a different time and had a different name didn't mean that would change.

And he wanted to prove that fact. Prove that he was trustworthy, loyal, and could protect him and the one who was important to him; his princess.

The earth symbol on his bracelet began to glow with his thoughts, and a moment later green light swirled around him until his body was surrounded in the light. It grew brighter and brighter until he was forced to close his eyes.

Everyone else in the room squinted and then closed their eyes to protect their eyes from the light, and when it cleared they opened their eyes and looked toward Zoycite to see he was a changed man.

He wore a light green long sleeve top with dark turquoise lining that was cinched at the waist with a thin black leather belt, white pants, and tall black armored boots with an added front length to protect his knees.

Along with the obvious uniform he wore a white cape with a red inner lining that hung from his shoulders secured by gray and turquoise fastenings, and a dark brown leather crisscross sword belt sat around his lower waist and hips securely holding a sword resting in its black sheath on his left side.

Zoycite opened his eyes and looked down at himself. He brought his hands up to his chest and smoothed them down his uniform top, idly noticing that his communication ring was still visible, then he reached around slightly and grabbed his cape.

He felt so good to be wearing his uniform again, though he was irritated that it was now part of a transformation and not his everyday wear. That would not stop him from wearing it with honor, and he was sure there would come a day when it would once again be his everyday wear.

He would prove himself to Endymion, prove that he deserved to be one of his trusted generals, and prove that he could handle his duties. And he would make damn sure he never betrayed him again; he'd rather die first.

Zoycite brought his eyes up and looked to his prince, and decided now was the time to start proving himself.

He stepped toward his fellow generals, putting a companionable hand on their shoulder as he passed, and stopped in front of Endymion. He knelt down on the floor and crossed his arm over his chest as he bowed his head.

"I Zoycite, present day Hayden, Knight of purification and healing, swear on my honor to once again serve and protect you and those you hold dear to the best of my ability and with my life." He said the words instantly, not even needing to think about it, before he looked up to his prince.

Darien smiled gently, satisfaction flowing fiercely through him at the confirmation that Zoycite was once again on his side, and called on his power. His eyes instantly took on a golden glow as he knelt down in front of him.

"I accept and welcome you." He said strongly as he placed his hand on top of his hand on his chest.

As soon as the words were out of his mouth his hand began to glow gold as well, and the light spread to Zoycite's before sinking into his skin. Just as it was with the others he knew his crystal was making certain his general could never again be influenced as he had been.

Serena watched happily as Darien and Zoycite got back to their feet and stood straight. Zoycite was officially back and now her prince had all but one of his guardian generals back with him.

She wanted to celebrate but that would have to wait until they were alone. For now there were still things Zoycite needed to know.

Zoycite grinned at everyone and blinked as a thought occurred to him. He lifted his hand and tried to call on his power. Purple blue light instantly lit up his hand and soon cool frost was swirling in his palm, growing larger and higher until it was the size of a softball.

The light left his hand and he swiped his free hand along the object in his palm as if to clear the frost, and smiled as a tiny clear ice sculpture of flames was revealed.

"I still got it!" He said in satisfaction.

He released his transformation with a reluctant sigh and sat on the bed, still holding the little ice flame since the cold didn't bother him.

"Alright then, now what?" Zoycite said.

"Now we'll fill you in on everything else you need to know." Darien said, and everyone crowded on the bed.

"First, we're currently in my apartment, and I've secured two apartments in the building with two bedrooms each on different floors for you and the others. Jedite and Neflite have one each and you can pick who you want to live with, so the other space will be left for Malachite." He explained.

"Other than that I'm paying for everyone's necessities until you can all get on your feet." He added.

"Darien and I will be providing you with a new identity as well as a past and history, so you'll be able to get a job or go to school or both; whichever you decide." Serena chimed in.

"Thank you." He said to Serena and Darien. He had been wondering how he was going to live his now free life.

The four then began to tell him about their training and workout sessions. Serena and Darien explained how they trained and worked out after school, and then went to martial arts class afterward; and in Serena's case gymnastics class when they had days off from the martial arts classes.

"We join them sometimes when they train and workout, and if we don't then we go off on our own." Neflite said as Jedite nodded with his words.

"On the weekends in the early morning me and my Scouts have a training session that lasts the entire morning where we exercise, spar, and work on our individual powers before coming together to work on combining our powers." Serena informed him.

"If I'm not working than me and the guys do the same thing or if I am working then they go without me." Darien added, and Zoycite nodded his understanding.

The group then began to give him the rundown on how things had happened with Luna and the Scouts; from Luna finding Serena, to helping Darien recall who he was, to finding and awakening each scout, and summoning Venus recently. They even described some of the fights, and how each general was approached and freed.

Once that was out of the way Serena revealed the knowledge that her mother knew their secret; she having been told because she had noticed things about Serena and had been concerned enough that only the truth would have set her at ease and cleared up the things she was worried about without causing serious trouble.

Her father on the other hand didn't know, and neither the girls nor Luna and Artemis knew that her mother knew the truth; and she planned on keeping it that way for the foreseeable future.


End file.
